MEXICO CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2023) Hundreds of tourists who were stranded in the world famous Inca citadel Machu Picchu in Peru due to railway service disrupted by ongoing protests, have been evacuated to the city of Cusco, the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism said on Sunday.
On Saturday, the Peruvian General-Directorate for Cultural Affairs in Cusco announced an indefinite suspension of access to Machu Picchu due to the violent protests in the region and across the country. The tourism ministry said that over 400 visitors, mostly foreigners, were stuck at the tourist site, as demonstrators damaged railway tracks leading to the site.
"Thanks to the coordinated work of all the members of the Tourist Protection Network, this afternoon 418 national and foreign visitors were transferred from Machu Picchu town to the capital of Cusco," the ministry wrote on Twitter.
On December 7, 2022, Peru's parliament impeached former President Pedro Castillo. Then-Prime Minister Dina Boluarte took an oath as the country's new president within two hours of the impeachment vote, vowing to serve out the rest of Castillo's term, until July 2026. Castillo, who had tried to dissolve the parliament before the vote, was arrested after the impeachment procedure and the Peruvian prosecutor's office launched a criminal case against him on charges of a coup attempt and crimes against the state.
These events have sparked a wave of protests across the country. Demonstrators denounce the post-impeachment government, and call for an immediate presidential election and termination of the country's parliament. At least 53 people have reportedly died since the start of the protests.
