Troubles in Peru | Machu Picchu closed, at least 400 tourists stranded

(Lima) Peru on Saturday closed Machu Picchu, a tourist gem and main attraction in the country shaken since December by protests that have left 46 dead, while the situation remains tense in Lima.

A protester died on Saturday from his injuries after clashes between police and protesters on Friday in Ilave, southern Peru, the local People’s Advocate said.

This brings to 46 the death toll since December 7 and the start of protests demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, the dissolution of Parliament and a Constituent Assembly.

“The closure of the Inca Trails network (land access, Inca Trail) and the Llaqta (citadel) of Machu Picchu has been ordered due to the social situation and to preserve the safety of visitors,” the ministry said. of Culture in a press release.

The railway, the only way to get to the site – apart from the march – has been cut for several days, the track having been damaged by demonstrators. According to the company that operates it, rails have been removed.

Vital tourism

At least 400 tourists – including 300 foreigners – are stranded at the foot of the site, in Aguas Calientes.

“We don’t know if a train will pick us up. All the tourists here are queuing up to register” for an evacuation, Chilean tourist Alem Lopez told AFP on Friday.

Tourists “cannot go out because the railway has been damaged in different places,” said Tourism Minister Luis Fernando Helguero on Friday evening.

“Some tourists have chosen to walk to Piscacucho, but it’s a walk of six hours or more and very few people can do it.”

Piscacucho is the closest village to Machu Picchu connected to the road network.

In December, tourists were also stranded in Machu Picchu before being evacuated by a special train, supervised by the police and teams of railway workers to repair the track.

Tourism, vital for the economy, represents between 3 and 4% of the GDP and provides employment to all strata of the population.

“I don’t know what they are accused of”

The unrest began after the dismissal and arrest of left-wing president Pedro Castillo, accused of having attempted a coup d’etat by wanting to dissolve the Parliament which was preparing to oust him from power.

The authorities have declared a state of emergency in several regions, including Lima and Cuzco, the country’s tourist capital, without stemming the protest movement.

The European Union on Saturday condemned the violence and the “disproportionate” use of force by the police. “The EU calls on the government […] to ensure an inclusive dialogue with the participation of civil society and affected communities,” the statement said.

The crisis is also a reflection of the huge rift between the capital and the impoverished provinces that supported President Castillo, of Native American descent, and saw his election as revenge for what they see as Lima’s contempt.

In Lima, the day after two days of mobilization, with the arrival in the capital of demonstrators from the poor Andean regions, the situation remained tense.

Security forces shot down with an armored vehicle the gate of the University of San Marcos (downtown) to expel some of the demonstrators from the provinces who had been sleeping there for several days.

The police searched the occupants, sometimes forcing them to lie on the ground in front of the university, AFP journalists noted, before arresting some.

“I have relatives who are there. I’m worried. We don’t know what can happen. I do not know what they are accused of, ”said Luz Maria Ramirez, 62, who came from Andahuaylsas (south), epicenter of the demonstrations in December.

Lawyers, but also prosecutors went there “to verify the legality of police operations and guarantee” the rights of people, according to a press release from the prosecution.