The citadel of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail will remain closed from this Saturday and for an indefinite period due to the anti-government protests that have been taking place since December, several regional and state organizations reported in a statement.
“Given the current social situation in our region and country, the Inca Trail Network and the Machu Picchu citadel have been closed from January 21, 2023 until further notice, to safeguard the safety of tourists and the general population,” reads an official statement.
This message was issued by the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of Cusco and the Head of the Historical Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, belonging to the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Sernanp).
The statement details that “all facilities will be provided to national and foreign tourists who are affected for the use of tickets, from January 21 until one month after the social mobilizations conclude or to request a refund of the ticket amount.”.
And they provided an email address for people affected by the closure of the monument, Peru's main tourist attraction and declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1983.
Train access to Machu Picchu was also blocked due to the protests this Friday, so the concessionary company Ferrocarril Trasandino SA announced the suspension “until further notice” of train operations between Cusco and Machu Picchu due to the “persistent blockade of the railway by protesters and the damage caused to it at different points”.
In response to this decision by the concessionaire, the two companies that provide train service to the town of Aguas Calientes, the base camp for tourists visiting the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru Rail and Inca Rail, ceased operations "until further notice".
Furthermore, this Friday the Ministry of Transport and Communications reported on the reopening of the Cusco airport, after the suspension of its operations on Thursday, a day in which road blockades and protests took place in the city.
The protests are demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, the closure of Congress, the calling of general elections this year and a constituent assembly, and since they began in early December, 60 people have died.
Source: EFE
