LIMA – The mountainous Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru will reopen to tourists today after an agreement was reached to halt protests by locals over train services, officials said.
The protests had forced the site to close on Monday, just six weeks after it reopened following an almost eight-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Residents of the towns of Machu Picchu and Ollantaytambo have been demanding cheaper fares and more frequent trains on the route between Cusco and Machu Picchu.
The train is the only means of transport for tourists, but it is also widely used by locals.
Protesters occupied the tracks, which sparked clashes with the police and threats to occupy the tourist site.
Authorities in the Cusco region said in a statement yesterday that "social order has been re-established".
Activists said no long-term deal had been agreed, but that the protests and blockades have been halted until next year.
Machu Picchu was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1983. Visitor numbers are restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. – AFP, December 19, 2020
