Airport Closure and Train Service Suspension Make Travel Difficult
National Emergency Declared for 14 Days Following Former President's Impeachment
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Due to nationwide protests against the impeachment of the president in Peru, tourists visiting the famous UNESCO World Heritage site Machu Picchu have been stranded.
On the 16th (local time), according to foreign media, Darwin Vaca, mayor of Machu Picchu, stated, "About 5,000 tourists are waiting at hotels in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire, for flights to resume."
Machu Picchu is the ruins of an ancient Inca city located in a rugged high-altitude area at 2,437 meters above sea level. To visit this site, one must pass through Cusco, but currently, due to the protests, Cusco International Airport is closed, and the trains running to and from Machu Picchu have been suspended since the 13th.
As a result, about 800 tourists are trapped at the Machu Picchu ruins instead of Cusco, and some of them are struggling to leave Machu Picchu on foot.
The local media outlet 'La Vanguardia' reported that Mayor Vaca requested Spain, the United States, and Mexico to assist tourists trapped in Machu Picchu by providing helicopter transport to Cusco.
Mayor Vaca appealed, "The Machu Picchu region, which depends 100% on tourism, is already suffering from food shortages due to the protests," and urged, "The new government led by newly appointed President Dina Boluarte should quickly engage in dialogue with local residents to end the unrest."
Katherine Martucci (71, female), an American tourist trapped in Machu Picchu during a group tour, told CNN in an interview, "Before the trip, we were informed to pack light and bring only two days' worth of medicine since we planned to stay in Machu Picchu for two days. However, now my medicine has run out, and I don't know when we can leave this place," expressing her distress. Tourists staying in Cusco are also very anxious about the indefinite extension of their stay as they do not know when flights will resume.
Meanwhile, the protests in Peru began after former President Pedro Castillo was impeached on the 7th and subsequently arrested by prosecutors on charges of 'rebellion and conspiracy.'
Supporters of former President Castillo became angry and started protests when former Vice President Boluarte was inaugurated as the new president. The military and police have cracked down harshly, resulting in at least 18 deaths so far. The new government under President Boluarte declared a state of emergency and banned gatherings on the 14th, but the protests have not subsided.
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