Peru News and Links

Transport carriers threaten to park units on public roads if there is a roadblock in Cusco (Spanish) Dario Tisoc, President of the Association of Transporters of the South (ATRASUR), stated that they will generate "another protest" in the city. They seek to resume their economic activities The President of ATRASUR stated that the interprovincial transporters of Cusco will take their own protest measures if a road blockade is carried out in the region. He pointed out that they will make 'another protest' with their vehicles and that they will be parked on public roads in Cusco. The Association seeks to resume its economic activities after previous blockades. 'In the southern road network, in this case Sicuani, neither the Army nor the Police, nor Provías nor the prefecture have given the interest, the importance of the case, since the road has been closed for almost three months. We are carriers, we need to work,' Tisoc told the media. He added that there is in...

Machu Picchu: more than 700 tourists visit in first day of reopening (Spanish) The llaqta (sanctuary) of Machu Picchu reopened yesterday and national and foreign visitors are returning, allowing the reactivation of the local and regional economy. Llaqta (sanctuary) of Machu Picchu With much anticipation from Peruvian and foreign visitors alike, the Ministry of Culture reopened the doors of the Sanctuary of Machupicchu, after receiving the commitments of the institutions that make up the Machupicchu Management Unit (UGM), municipal authorities of Machupicchu and Ollantaytambo, directors of the Chamber of Commerce and leaders of social organizations, to guarantee the security of the monument, and transport services so that tourists have an unforgettable experience in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Maritza Rosa Candia, the Director of the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of Cusco (DDC-Cusco), oversaw the welcome of visitors, and represented the Minister of Culture, Leslie Urteaga. Ye...

Machu Picchu Sanctuary reopens from today (Spanish) Reopening confirmed by the Ministry of Culture, through a statement that it will be under the same conditions, schedules and circuits previously established. The historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu reopens its doors to the public from today, Wednesday, February 15, as confirmed by the Ministry of Culture through a statement. It indicates that it will be under the same conditions, schedules and circuits established, "after having assumed the commitment" jointly with the authorities. The institutions that make up the Machu Picchu Management Unit (UGM), municipal authorities of Machu Picchu and Ollantaytambo, directors of the Chamber of Commerce and leaders of social organizations, guarantee the security of the monument and transportation services, so that visitors enjoy their experience in the place. Statement of the Ministry of Culture As recalled, Machu Picchu was closed on January 21, 2023, due to the political and social cr...

Train to Machu Picchu returns to daily operation (Spanish) Good news for tourism in Cusco. Since yesterday, February 13, the train that covers the Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu route now operates every day, announced the PeruRail company, which specified that daily service will initially be provided until Sunday, February 19. Through their official Twitter account , PeruRail indicated that during this period train services (local + tourist train) will operate with four frequencies a day (two one way and two return) . PeruRail said that this measure was implemented in compliance with the authorization of railway operations between Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu and Hidroeléctrica, arranged by the railway concessionaire, Ferrocarril Transandino SA on February 6. The measure was announced less than a week after the restart of train operations to and from Machu Picchu after being suspended since January 19. On Wednesday, February 8, the Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu railway service partially resume...

Peru: Narcoterrorists in VRAEM kill 7 police officers after ambush (Spanish) Assassins finished off the victims with shots to the head. According to preliminary reports, the attackers belonged to the Mobilized Communist Party of Peru (MPCP), which is dedicated to drug trafficking in the area. Doris Aguirre Six members of the National Division of Special Operations of the Peruvian National Police (PNP - DINOES) and two police officers from the Natividad PNP Police Station were ambushed by members of the MPCP criminal organization as they were traveling in a van near the town center of Natividad in the district of Unión Asháninka, La Convención Provence, Cusco Region.  The MPCP, led by Víctor Quispe Palomino, operates in the Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers (Known by its acronym VRAEM. In 1999, Quispe Palomino broke with Abimael Guzmán Reinoso, leader of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) communist guerrilla group and formed a drug trafficking...

U.S. Embassy Lima, Peru: Alery - Demonstrations and Transportation Availability (full alert) February 8, 2023 Location: Cusco, Peru Event: The General Confederation of Workers has called for a nationwide strike starting February 9.  The strike, should it occur, is expected to severely limit transportation options in Cusco and may complicate transportation in other cities and regions of Peru.  Avoid demonstrations should you encounter any and remain in a safe location. For emergencies involving American citizens in Peru, please email at LimaACS@state.gov or call +51-1-618-2000. (more) Tags: #USEmbassyAlert #Peru #Cusco #Protests #Transportation

Cusco: PeruRail receives authorization to restart the Ollantaytambo - Machu Picchu train service (Spanish) PeruRail announced that tomorrow it will resume its mixed train operations twice a week. Restart of the Ollantaytambo Machu Picchu train service is authorized. (PeruRail) The company Ferrocarril Transandino SA (FETRANSA), concessionaire of the railway in the south and southeast of the country, announced that as of today, Tuesday, February 7, railway operations are authorized in the section Pachar - Ollantaytambo - Machu Picchu - Hidroeléctrica, Cusco region. Through a statement issued Monday night, FETRANSA specified that this decision was made "after verifying that the railway in this section is in operational condition after having been rehabilitated after suffering damage as a result of the protests registered in the area". It adds that last weekend it was verified that "there have been no blockages or damage to the railway in the aforementioned section". T...

Protests threaten Holy Week in Cusco (Spanish) Ongoing protests result in ten million soles being lost daily, and 40,000 people have lost their jobs that are directly related to the tourism sector. The social conflicts in the south of the country have caused the cancellation of several festivities and now jeopardize Holy Week in Cusco, according to Richard Velásquez, President of the Peruvian Association of Tourism Companies (APEMTUR - Cusco). "The negative projections are until Easter in April, because incoming tourism does not cancel from one day to the next like the national one," said the APEMTUR President. With Holy Week, the 'high tourist season' begins in the Cusco region and intensifies in June, when the reserves run out before the arrival of the thousands of visitors; however, in only the first quarter Cusco 'lost all its reserves'. "Cusco loses 10 million soles per day according to MINCETUR (the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism), it is a qu...

Cusco: explosion at Macamango Military Barracks leaves at least 14 injured and more than 70 houses affected (Spanish) Affected buildings include a health center and a school. The Command of the Army of Peru has ordered the inspection system to initiate an investigation. An explosion occurred in the powder magazine located in the facilities of the Macamango Military Barracks, headquarters of the 33rd Infantry Brigade, in the city of Quillabamba, in Cusco. At least fourteen people, including citizens and staff from the barracks, were reported to be injured by the Mayor of the Province of La Convención Alex Curi León. Video of the explosion's aftermath. Curi León stated that there would be at least seventy homes and buildings affected, including a health center and an educational center, and a full damage assessment will be made today. "We have verified that the explosion and shock wave have affected several houses, I have asked the Army general who is going to compensate for the...

Turmoil risks the financial stability Peru has long taken for granted (full article) Joshua Goodman CUSCO, Peru - Marco Gonzales ventured to the Andean city of Cusco from his home in the Peruvian Amazon in 2007 with little more than $20, a smidgeon of English and a change of clothes poorly suited for the icy mountain air. He started offering walking tours of the former Incan Empire capital in exchange for tips. Along the way he fell in love with a British backpacker, Nathalie Zulauf, and together the couple built a travel business and family. But now it’s all at risk of collapsing along with so much of Peru’s once-enviable economic stability. The couple’s company, Bloody Bueno Peru , which caters to mostly foreign tourists from Britain and elsewhere, hasn’t seen a customer since December, when protesters demanding the resignation of interim President Dina Boluarte all but cut off access to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. Groups have canceled reservations months in advance, forcing t...

Cusco: Peru Rail refuses to provide humanitarian trains to residents of Machu Picchu (Spanish) Residents report they are unable to supply themselves with basic resources. Peru Rail trains are not operating even though there are no longer protests and blockades in place. Residents request that trains provide essential service Residents of the Machu Picchu District in the Cusco Region have been incommunicado for two weeks due to lack of transportation. They indicate that the Peru Rail company does not want to provide essential humanitarian service to citizens. The situation harms the hundreds of locals who permanently reside in Aguas Calientes since they cannot supply themselves with food and other basic provisions for residents of the Machu Picchu District, in the Cusco Region, have been incommunicado for two weeks due to the lack of transportation. They indicate that the Peru Rail company does not want to provide humanitarian service to citizens. The situation harms the hundreds of loc...

Peru: government decrees State of Emergency in seven regions due to protests (Spanish) The Executive Power ordered a new State of Emergency for a period of sixty calendar days. In Puno, a curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. for 10 days has also been decreed. The Executive decreed a state of emergency for 60 days in Madre de Dios, Cusco, Puno, Apurímac, Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna (source Andena) The government of President Dina Boluarte today (Sunday) decreed a State of Emergency in the regions of Cusco, Madre de Dios, Puno, Apurímac, Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna due to the social and political crisis that has been experienced since last December 7th in the country. The measure was made official in an extraordinary edition of the Official Gazette El Peruano and has the signatures of the President of the Republic, Dina Boluarte; of the Premier Alberto Otárola; Defense Minister Jorge Luis Chávez Cresta; and the Minister of Justice, José Tello. Scope of the measures According to th...

91% of tourists cancelled travel to Cusco and Machu Picchu due to protests and blocking of access to tourist spots (Spanish) Drops in tourist income occurred in Cusco, 91%; Arequipa, 82%; Puno, 95%; and Tacna, 72%. In mid-January, the Cusco Chamber of Commerce warned that the road blockades and protests in that Region had caused more than 90% of tourist reservations scheduled until the end of March to be cancelled, causing millions in losses for the tourism sector. Added to this, according to official figures from the National Migration Superintendence, less than half of the number of foreigners (down 59.1%) entered the country in January compared to the same month of 2020 (before the start of the pandemic). The south of the country is the most affected, according to figures cited by the daily Gestión. The drop in tourist income occurred in: Cusco, 91%; Arequipa, 82%; Puno, 95%; and Tacna, 72%. All these are Regions where the demonstrations and clashes between demonstrators and the Pol...

Cusco: long lines of up to 3,000 people to buy a cylinder of gas (Spanish) People camp in line near the LPG bottling plants in the hope of getting a bottle of gas, as well as other types of fuels that are also in short supply. Residents camp on the outskirts of the bottling plants to be able to buy a container of fuel due to the shortage. In the distributors the ball can be sold for up to two hundred soles Lines of up to 3,000 people form every day in Cusco to try to buy a gas cylinder, given the severe shortages resulting from the blockades and protests against the government of President Dina Boluarte in this region. Housewives, workers, and young people camp in the vicinity of the bottling plants in the hope of getting a bottle of LPG, as well as other types of fuels that are also in short supply. Since mid-January, the lack of LPG was noticed in the different distributors in Cusco, for which reason bad merchants chose to sell the cylinders at a higher price, which even reached two ...

Cusco: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu closed during February for maintenance (Spanish) Work will take place from February 1 to 28, 2023. The Decentralized Directorate of Culture (DDC) of Cusco and the National Service of Areas Protected by the State (SERANP), confirmed that from February 1 to 28, 2023, the network of Inca Trails to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, will enter maintenance and remain closed to visitors. In a statement , both headquarters address the temporary closure of this important tourist and cultural attraction to tour operators, agencies, tour guides, support staff and the general public, in application of the Regulations for Sustainable Tourist Use of the Inca Road Network. This closure for maintenance is in addition to the suspension of the entry of tourists to the Inca Trail due to the National Strike being observed against the government. Authorities reiterate that during February tourist activities on the Inca Trail are suspended. Meanwhile, specialized personnel...

U.S. Embassy Lima, Peru: Alert for Demonstrations and Consular Agency Operations (full alert) February 1, 2023 Location: Cusco, Peru Event: Demonstrations are expected to continue on February 1 and February 2 in Cusco.  Expect limited transportation within the city of Cusco and anticipate roadblocks will continue to impact mobility outside of the main city.  Protests and roadblocks continue to impact other areas of the country including Puno, Arequipa, Ica, and Madre de Dios, and parts of downtown Lima close to national government buildings.  Exercise increased caution and avoid protests and roadblocks. The Cusco Consular Agency will remain open as the security situation permits.  For emergencies involving American citizens in Peru, please email at LimaACS@state.gov or call +51-1-618-2000. (more) Tags: #Peru #Cusco #Protests #USEmbassyAlert

Cusco: interprovincial transport companies are on the verge of bankruptcy (Spanish) Meanwhile, the blockade of ninety-eight points on southern highways continues. Yesterday afternoon, Director of the National Land Transport Council (CNTT) Martín Ojeda called for the restoration of traffic on the roads of Peru, since 80% of the bus fleet is paralyzed by blockades in almost all of the south of the country.  He pointed out that the buses and vehicles that manage to circulate have been stranded for several days and are transporting protesters who seek to reach Lima to participate in marches. Ojeda Trujillo said that the protesters put pressure on the transport companies to take them on their buses to the city of Lima; if they refuse, they could have dire consequences. Protesters sometimes threaten to burn or damage the transport. Ojeda stated that it is therefore necessary for the authorities to take preventive measures to protect passengers. In addition, fiscal and legal proceedi...

National Police unblocks highway in the Sacred Valley of the Incas (Spanish) According to the Superintendency of Land Transportation of People, Cargo, and Merchandise (SUTRAN), until yesterday, up to nineteen blockades were registered in at least five provinces. The Panamericana Sur Highway has most of its sections blocked. The Peruvian National Police (PNP) began to unblock roads in the Cusco region with a contingent from the Calca and Lamay police stations that freed the highway that connects Cusco with the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in the Province of Calca. Since 10:00 a.m. yesterday, the authority cleaned and prepared the road for vehicular traffic. Due to the protests carried out in recent days this connection between Cusco and the provinces of Calca and Urubamba had remained blocked. The work was done with the use of a backhoe from the municipality of Calca. In several sections, large stones and eucalyptus trunks blocked the road and hindered the passage of vehicles. In Cusco, ...

Cusco: Unscrupulous travel agencies transporting tourists to Machu Picchu with false promise they can visit park (Diario El Sol de Cusco [Spanish] - 1/25/2023) Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail network are closed to tourists. The Foreign Trade and Tourism Management (GERCETUR) of Cusco denounced that informal tourism agencies and other irresponsible parties are transporting tourists to the district of Machu Picchu Pueblo, using the Amazonian route Cusco-Quillabamba-Santa María-Santa Teresa-Hidroeléctrica, with false promises they can enter the Inca citadel. The head of GERCETUR Cusco, Abel Matto Leiva, affirmed that, on Friday, January 20th, during the transfer of tourists stranded in Machu Picchu Pueblo to Cusco carried out on Friday the 20th, at least two hundred visitors arrived even though the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of Cusco (DDCC) had closed access to the Inca citadel. "There is no shortage of tourists who go by their own means, who are recommended by social netwo...

Mayor of Machu Picchu asks that tourism be declared an emergency after the closure of the citadel (Spanish) Authority confirmed that it has indefinitely closed the doors of the tourist attraction due to the protests. La Torre stressed that these stoppages bring with them negative consequences for the economic activity of the place, since Machu Picchu is sustained entirely by tourism. (Photo: GEC) Elvis La Torre, Mayor of Machu Picchu, confirmed that it has been decided to close the doors of the citadel to tourism due to the protests and the current political and social crisis that the country is going through. “By decision of the vast majority of the population, it has been decided to abide by this indefinite strike, I just want to emphasize that the strikes that take place here in the center of Machu Picchu are totally peaceful. There is no type of violence, and they are done in coordination with the National Police," he said in an interview with RPP. In this sense, La Torre stre...