Entrance to Machu Picchu suspended due to unrest in Peru
The Decentralized Directorate of Culture and the Directorate of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu said in a statement the day before that tourists who have a ticket for January 21 or later can request a refund up to a month after the end of the demonstrations. .
The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is seen in Cusco, Peru, in this file photo from December 2, 2014.
Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters
According to Andina, parts of the Urubamba-Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu railway were damaged during Thursday’s anti-government protests, forcing train services to be suspended until further notice. The suspended train service left 417 people, including 300 foreign nationals, stranded in the Machu Picchu district.
At least 300 of those tourists are foreigners, according to Peruvian Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Luis Helguero.
“People are still trapped in Machu Picchu,” Helguero said. “417 tourists cannot leave the city, more than 300 are foreigners.”
Helguero said authorities are assessing and repairing the damage so tourists can be evacuated. Some tourists were evacuated on foot, but the trek, Helguero said, took at least six to seven hours.
PeruRail announced on Thursday that it was suspending services to and from Machu Picchu, among other destinations, because tracks were blocked and damaged in various places.
“We regret, however, the inconvenience this is causing our passengers due to a situation beyond the company’s control due to the protests in Cusco,” the statement read.
