Iran Press/ America: The December arrest of the country’s former president Pedro Castillo spurred chaos in Peru and triggered ongoing political protests. As a result, rail lines, roads and airports have been closed, preventing tourists of varying nationalities from leaving the area around Machu Picchu, Radio France International said.
On Friday, international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported 5,000 tourists were stranded in Cusco, the gateway city to Machu Picchu.
Trains to and from Machu Picchu have been halted since Tuesday, CNN reported. The railway is the most popular way to reach the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
PeruRail, the railway operator between the south and southeast regions of Peru, said in a statement it will assist travelers in selecting alternative dates for their train rides, as soon as it is possible to do so.
All flights from both Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón International Airport in Arequipa and the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco (75 kilometres from Machu Picchu) have been suspended.
Lima Airport Partners claimed the Cusco airport will reopen on Friday at 12 p.m. “provided that the security conditions are met for the restart of operations.” As of this writing, it appears all departures from the airport have been cancelled.
Stranded tourists have been using social media, namely Twitter, to share photo and video of the escalating situation and connect with one another to share updates online.
The protests, at some points violent, broke out across the country last week after Peruvian Congress ousted Castillo from office. That move came after Castillo tried to dissolve Congress ahead of an impeachment vote.
Castillo remains in police custody and is facing a rebellion charge. His supporters are protesting to demand his freedom and the resignation of his successor, interim president Dina Boluarte. Many protesters also call for new, immediate elections for all of Congress.
At least six people have been confirmed dead in the clashes.
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