Cusco’s international airport, which then drains to the famous Machu Picchu, the jewel of Peru’s tourism, suspended operations Thursday “as a precaution” and “indefinitely” as demonstrations have rocked the country for more than a month, Dina Boluarte, the Ministry of Transport announced.
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The decision was made amid fears of intrusion by protesters who marched in the thousands in Cusco on Thursday after an unsuccessful attempt the previous day.
Many police and military personnel are stationed around Cusco Airport, which handles Peru’s second busiest air traffic with nearly a hundred weekly flights connecting Cusco with the capital Lima.
Protesters attempting to enter the tracks were repulsed by security forces on Wednesday in a day of violence that left one protester dead and more than 50 injured, including 19 police officers, according to the mediator’s office.
It is the second closure of the airport since the beginning of the protest movement against the new President Dina Boluarte in early December, after the dismissal of the former left-wing President Pedro Castillo by Parliament, which resulted in minus 42 deaths. In December, Cusco Airport suspended operations for five days.