Hundreds of tourists have been left stranded near Peru’s ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu after rail services were suspended because protesters blocked the route with rocks.
Tourism minister Desilu Leon told local radio that 1,400 tourists had been evacuated but around 900 remained stranded in Aguas Calientes, the closest town to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Train operator PeruRail said services were suspended on Monday because train tracks in Peru’s mountainous Cusco region had been blocked by “rocks of various sizes”.
It also said “third parties” had dug up part of the rail route, which had slowed evacuation operations.
The protest by residents began last week after tourist bus operator Consettur’s concession expired.
The company ferries tourists from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of the tourist attraction.
A neighbouring district commissioned another bus company to provide services in its place, but protesters in Aguas Calientes prevented it from operating.
Protesters claim there is a lack of transparency and fairness in the process of replacing Consettur.
New7Wonders, a campaign group which highlights global sites of major cultural heritage, has sent a letter to Peru‘s government warning that if the row – between residents, authorities and bus companies – escalates, Machu Picchu’s global status could be affected.
Tourism is key to Peru’s economy.
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Machu Picchu is visited by more than one million people a year.
The number of tourists granted access to the iconic site, built in the 1400s, is capped at 5,600 a day in peak season, May to September.
