Inca site Machu Picchu closed to tourists for now

Inca site Machu Picchu closed to tourists for now

The reason for this is the ongoing unrest in Peru. Another person was killed in protests against President Boluarte.

Because of the ongoing unrest in Peru, the world heritage site of Machu Picchu, which is popular with tourists from all over the world, has been closed. The Peruvian Ministry of Culture announced on Saturday in Lima that the closure of the Inca historic site had been ordered “due to the social situation and to protect the integrity of visitors”. The measure applies “until further notice”.

During the protests, access to Machu Picchu was repeatedly restricted. The operation of the airport near Cusco was suspended. Hundreds of foreign tourists were trapped around Machu Picchu in mid-December.

riots since september

Peru has been ravaged by unrest since the overthrow and arrest of leftist President Pedro Castillo on Dec. Protesters are demanding the resignation of his successor, Dina Boluarte, and the dissolution of parliament so that new elections can be held without delay. Dozens of people died in the wave of protests. A state of emergency has already been declared for almost a third of the Andean country.

Another fatality was reported in the small town of Ilave in the southern region of Puno on Saturday. A man was seriously injured during a protest on Friday and was hospitalized as a result, an official told the AFP news agency. He succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

According to hospital reports, another ten people were injured in clashes between indigenous Aymaras and the police. The police crackdown on the protests so angered protesters in Ilave that they set fire to a police station on Saturday morning, according to television footage.

A police station was also set on fire in Zepita, in the Puno region. Nobody is hurt.

(APA)