Travelore Update: Peru Reopens Machu Picchu After Agreement With Protesters

Peru’s Machu Picchu, an Inca-era stone citadel nestled in its southeastern jungle, reopened on Wednesday after being closed nearly a month ago amid antigovernment protests, the culture ministry announced.

The decision was made between agreements between authorities, social groups and the local tourism industry to guarantee the security of the famed tourist attraction and transport services.

Protests calling for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and members of Peru’s Congress have shaken the region, including Cuzco, for more than two months. The demonstrations caused a blockade of the train tracks leading to the stone citadel.

The protests have led to 60 deaths: 48 are civilians who died in clashes with the security forces; 11 civilians killed in traffic accidents related to road blockades; and one policeman who died inside a patrol car when it was set on fire, according to data from the Ombudsman’s Office.

The closure of Machu Picchu, on Jan. 21, forced the government to airlift more than 400 tourists from Machu Picchu to the city of Cusco by helicopter.

Machu Picchu was built by the Incas in the 15th century as a religious sanctuary high in Andes Mountains.

Peru Closes Machu Picchu As Anti-Government Protests Grow

Peru indefinitely shut the famed ancient ruins of Machu Picchu on Saturday in the latest sign that anti-government protests that began last month are increasingly engulfing the South American country.

The Culture Ministry said it had closed the country’s most famous tourist attraction as well as the Inca Trail leading up to the site “to protect the safety of tourists and the population in general.”

There were 417 visitors stuck at Machu Picchu and unable to get out, more than 300 of them foreigners, Tourism Minister Luis Fernando Helguero said at a news conference.

The closure of the Incan citadel that dates to the 15th century and is often referred to as one of the new seven wonders of the world comes as protesters have descended on Lima, many of them traveling to the capital from remote Andean regions, to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.

Also Saturday, police raided Peru’s most important public university in Lima to evict protesters who were being housed at the campus while participating in big demonstrations. More than 100 people were detained, Interior Minister Vicente Romero said.

Until recently, the protests had been concentrated in the country’s south. They began last month after then-President Pedro Castillo, Peru’s first leader with a rural Andean background, was impeached and imprisoned for trying to dissolve Congress.

Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Boluarte, the former vice president sworn into office Dec. 7 to replace Castillo. They also want Congress dissolved and new elections held. Castillo is currently detained on charges of rebellion.

More than 55 people have died in the ensuing unrest, most recently on Friday night when a protester was killed and at least nine others injured in clashes with police in Puno. A total of 21 protesters and one police officer have died in the southern region.

On Saturday morning, police used a small tank to burst into the National University of San Marcos in the morning.

Javier Cutipa, 39, who traveled by bus from Puno, had been sleeping on the floor there since Thursday but left for breakfast right before the police arrived. He described the police action as “practically an assault,” with helicopters, tear gas and small tanks.

“This outrages us. The only thing the government is doing with these detentions is worsen tensions,” Cutipa said. He added that “when the population finds out about this they’re going to react in a more radical fashion.”

Hundreds of protesters congregated outside the law enforcement offices where the detainees were being held Saturday evening chanting “Freedom” and “We’re students, not terrorists.” More congregated at other points of downtown Lima.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed “concern over the police incursion, eviction and massive detentions” at the university and urged the state to “guarantee the integrity and due process of all people.”

The university issued a news release saying the police raid took place after protesters “assaulted” security personnel.

Cusco, where Machu Picchu is located, has been the site of some of the most intense clashes, leading to significant loss of tourism revenue. The Cusco airport was briefly shut down this week after protesters tired to storm it.

Train service to Machu Picchu has been closed since Thursday due to damage to the tracks.

Some stranded tourists have chosen to leave by walking to Piscacucho, the nearest village, Helguero said, “but that involves a walk of six, seven hours or more and only a few people are able to do it.”
Tourists who had already bought tickets for Machu Picchu from Saturday until one month after whenever the protests end will be able to obtain a full refund, the Culture Ministry said.

By DANIEL POLITI

Machu Picchu Has Been Called The Wrong Name For Over 100 Years. Historians Reveal Its True Name

(CNN) — Some mistakes are hard to shake.

For over 100 years, one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, Machu Picchu, has been known by the wrong name, according to a report published in Ñawpa Pacha: Journal of the Institute of Andean Studies.

The Incas who built the ancient city likely called it Huayna Picchu, the report said.

Huayna translates to "new or young," while Picchu means "mountain peak" in the Indigenous Quechua language, said Emily Dean, professor of anthropology at Southern Utah University in Cedar City. She was not involved in the report. Machu means "old," so we've been calling it old mountain peak, she added.

The Incan settlement was believed to have been built around 1420 as an estate for royal Incas living in Cuzco, the capital of the Incan empire, according to report author Brian Bauer, professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

When the Spaniards later conquered the Incas, Huayna Picchu was abandoned, the report said. It was hidden for centuries deep in the Andes mountains until American explorer Hiram Bingham rediscovered it in 1911.

In his field notes, Bingham decided to call the ancient city Machu Picchu, based on information provided to him by his guide Melchor Arteaga, a farmer who lived in the area, Bauer said.

During Bauer's research into Machu Picchu, he found evidence that its original name had been something else. Report author Donato Amado Gonzales -- a historian at the Ministry of Culture in Peru -- independently discovered the same pattern, so they decided to team up and unearth the real name together.

The researchers began by looking at Bingham's notes, where he stated he was uncertain of the name of the ruins when he first visited them. From there, Bauer and Amado Gonzales reviewed maps and atlases printed before and after Bingham's visit.

One of the most stunning documents was a report from 1588 stating the Indigenous people of the Vilcabamba region were considering returning to Huayna Picchu, Bauer said.

The name error isn't surprising, Dean said, because many non-Peruvian archaeologists did not put much effort into researching the names of places and didn't fully understand Quechua. "More broadly, this finding challenges the popular narrative that Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu," she said. Locals knew about the site long before Bingham arrived.

A name change is unlikely
Despite the discovery of the area's original name, it's likely to remain Machu Picchu, Bauer said.

"We would not suggest that the name be changed since Machu Picchu is known worldwide," he added.

Machu Picchu is also published in thousands of books, articles, advertisements and legal documents, Dean said.

The Peruvian people and their government have embraced the new name, so while it's an interesting addition to the history of the site, it won't change the modern name, she noted.

Peru’s Machu Picchu Has Reopened After Pandemic Closure

MACHU PICCHU, Peru (AP) — Except workers repairing roads and signs, Peru’s majestic Incan citadel of Machu Picchu is eerily empty ahead of its reopening Sunday after seven months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The long closure of Peru’s No. 1 tourist draw, which has hammered the local economy, marks the second time it has been shut down since it opened its doors to tourism in 1948. The first time was in 2010 when torrential and prolonged rains forced it to close. The stone complex built in the 15th century will receive 675 visitors a day starting November 1, the director of Machu Picchu archaeological park, José Bastante, told The Associated Press during an exclusive visit to the near-empty ruin ahead of its reopening.

“We have a limited 30% admission capacity in compliance with biosafety measures and protocols,” Bastante said while supervising final preparations to open the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is accustomed to receiving 3,000 tourists a day, though it recently passed regulations limiting visitors to 2,244 visitors a day to protect the ruins. Still a large number given experts belief that in the 15th century a maximum of 410 people lived in the citadel on the limits of the Andes mountains and the Amazon. Before entering, visitors will have their temperatures taken and will be required to wear masks and stand at least 2 meters apart. Groups, including a guide, cannot be larger than eight people, and children under 12 will not be allowed. To avoid crowding, visitors will travel on four circuits. Tour operators are offering packages costing $250 to visit Machu Picchu, which before the pandemic would have cost at least $750.

Peru’s tourism revenues have been frozen since it decreed a general lockdown March 16 to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. So far, 34,197 people have died from COVID-19 in the country. Machu Picchu is Peru’s tourism jewel and in 2018 drew 1.5 million visitors. The citadel was built in the 15th century as a religious sanctuary for the Incas at an altitude of 2,490 meters (8,170 feet).