Machu Picchu reopens after 25 days of closure due to protests in Peru

The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, a tourist jewel in Peru, reopened its doors to visitors on Wednesday (15) after 25 days of closure due to protests and demonstrations that have rocked the country since last December.

The first groups of tourists entered the archaeological park early in the morning.

Visitors could tour the different sacred sites and temples that make up the “llaqta” (citadel in Quechua) with the tranquility of the low flow of visitors at the reopening.

About 700 tourists visited the archaeological site by noon on Wednesday, said the Culture Ministry, whose officials were present at the site’s reopening.

“The capacity is 4,044 visitors per day in eight shifts, from 6 am to 4 pm,” said Maritza Rosa Candia, the ministry’s director in Cusco.

The famous citadel, built in the 15th century by the Inca emperor Pachacútec, has been closed to tourism since January 21 due to Peru’s political and social crisis.

The rail service that transports people and cargo from Cusco to the city of Machu Picchu, located on the slopes of the citadel, was interrupted for 18 days due to attacks and destruction of the railroad in protests demanding the resignation of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte.

As a result, Machu Picchu, accessible only by the railroads from the town of Ollantaytambo, a 90-minute journey, suffered from shortages of basic items and products such as residential gas.

Rosa Candia explained that during the closure of the archaeological site, the local authorities took the opportunity to work on “the maintenance and conservation” of the pathways and passages of the stone citadel.

Peruvian and foreign tourists from countries like the UK and France visited the site on the first day of reopening.

Tourism is fundamental to the Peruvian economy and an important source of employment, which before the pandemic in 2020, attracted about 4.5 million visitors a year.

With information from AFP/Jovem Pan