5,000 – that’s how many tourists were effectively trapped in Peru after visiting the famous mysterious Inca city of Machu Picchu: travelers can’t leave their hotels and fly out of the country. The problem of not leaving is explained by mass protests.
In Peru, as CNN reported, protests erupted after President Pedro Castillo was removed from his post by Congress on December 7 and sent to prison. Due to riots in many parts of the country, the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in the city of Cusco was temporarily closed for flights.
The airport, which became the target of the demonstrators, has remained closed since December 12, so 5,000 visitors remain cut off from the opportunity to return to their homeland and wait for good news, sitting in their rooms. It was clarified that travelers who visited the city of Machu Picchu – the most visited tourist attraction in Peru, cannot even physically reach the airport, because barricades and a curfew block their way.
According to the publication, the authorities of the tourist city of Machu Picchu intend to evacuate foreigners from the tourist zone by four helicopters in the near future. Thus, a tourist stuck in Peru, a Spanish-speaking person, previously addressed the authorities with the following statement: “We demand that we be put on a plane so that we can go to Argentina.”
Tourists really have something to fear: the death toll from the demonstrations has risen to 20. According to a statement from Peru’s Ministry of Health, they died as a result of the ongoing protests in various cities of the country. Another 63 people are being treated in hospitals. The number of injured exceeded 500 people, more than 150 demonstrators were detained.
Background: Machu Picchu is a city of the Inca civilization located in the Andes in Peru above the Urubamba River valley. The city was founded in the 15th century, and later abandoned. It is now a very popular tourist destination. Machu Picchu is famous for the fact that all the walls are built without the use of adhesive material. There are also unusual astronomical structures here. Panoramic views open from the top. Scientists have not yet determined the purpose of the city. Machu Picchu is a cultural and natural UNESCO World Heritage Site.