Peru’s Ministry of Culture will close the Machu Picchu and Inca Trail archaeological sites until further notice due to intensifying protests in the Andean nation calling for the removal of President Dina Boluarte.
(Bloomberg) — Peru’s Ministry of Culture will close the Machu Picchu and Inca Trail archaeological sites until further notice due to intensifying protests in the Andean nation calling for the removal of President Dina Boluarte.
The measure was taken to “ensure the security of tourists and the general population,” according to a statement posted on Machu Picchu’s government website.
The government will honor tourists’ tickets until one month after the conclusion of the protests, or will issue refunds for the full amount, according to the statement.
Peru, a tourism destination and the world’s second-biggest copper producer, has been rocked by increasingly violent protests demanding Boluarte’s resignation and weeks of demonstrations in impoverished rural areas have failed to dislodge her. Boluarte took office on Dec. 7 after her predecessor President Pedro Castillo was impeached. Police have deployed more than 10,000 officers to try to maintain order, and violent confrontations have led to more than 40 deaths, mostly in the south of the country.
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