Clashes and demonstrations in Peru: the government closes access to Machu Picchu

The Peruvian government has decided to close Machu Picchu, the Inca tourist gem and the country’s main attraction, due to the unrest that has gripped the country since December, which has killed 46 people, the government announced on Saturday. “The closure of the Inca trail network (land access, Inca trail) and Llakta (citadels) of Machu Picchu has been ordered due to the social situation and to preserve the safety of visitors,” the Ministry of Culture said in a press release. .

Clashes in southern Peru

Moreover, the “rebel” situation in the Andean country is not weakening. Thus, a protester died on Saturday after clashes with police during a demonstration against President Dina Boluarte in Ilawa, southern Peru, the Defender of Locals said. “We urge the police not to use disproportionate force,” he added.

The police response to Friday’s protests in Iława angered residents, who set fire to the police station at dawn on Saturday, TV footage showed. According to hospital sources, clashes between Aymara residents and the police in the city also injured 10 people. Another police station in the Puno area, in Zepit, was also set on fire on Friday, with no injuries.

Demonstrations demanding the resignation of Dina Boluarte and the suspension of Congress have claimed the lives of 46 people (45 civilians and a policeman) since December 7, after the dismissal and arrest of President Pedro Castillo. This left-wing leader was accused of attempting a coup when he wanted to dissolve the right-wing Congress, which was about to fire him for alleged corruption. He was replaced by Boluarte, his vice president and a member of the same party as him.

State of emergency

The government on Sunday extended the state of emergency by 30 days in Lima, Cusco, Callao and Puno to limit protests by allowing the military to intervene along with police to restore public order. On Thursday, the northern regions of Amazonas and La Libertad and Tacna in the south were placed under a state of emergency, so that about a third of the country is under this regime until mid-February.

The crisis also reflects a huge social gap between the capital and the poorer provinces that support Castillo, an indigenous representative, and who saw his election as a form of revenge for the contempt they show for Lima.