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MACHU PICCHU, Jan. 26 – Visitors to Peru’s iconic Machu Picchu site had their vacations briefly cut short due to protesters angry at the government for privatizing ticket sales at the Inca citadel.
Tour operators and residents closed shops in protest and blocked the tracks of a tourist train, compelling those on board to walk the remaining three kilometres to the entrance.
“We are against the systematic privatisation of Machu Picchu. The people are not in agreement; this (ticketing) company was contracted illegally,” community representative Darwin Baca told AFP.
The Culture Ministry said the protest severely disrupted Thursday’s visits.
“No one can say that we are privatising cultural heritage,” Minister Leslie Urtega said over the weekend in reaction to the community’s concerns.
“I’m myself. Machu Picchu belongs to all Peruvians.
A local collective claims that the company that won the ticketing contract, Joinnus, will earn up to $3. 2 million in commissions per year.
Machu Picchu, 130 kilometres from the city of Cusco, was built in the 15th century at an altitude of 2,500 metres on orders from the Inca ruler Pachacutec.
It is considered a marvel of architecture and engineering and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981.
Tourism is key to Peru’s economy, as the country attracted around 4. 5 million people before the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
The number of entries to the citadel rose to 4,500 on the opening day of this month, up from a previous high of 3,800.