Tourists Stuck In Peru Evacuated Via Helicopter As Protests In Provinces Continue

Tourists in Machu Picchu, Peru found themselves stuck in the country as protests against the government continue to intensify, with many of them reported to be airlifted out via helicopter on Monday in order to get to flights in more stable areas in the country.

Protests around the Incan ruin and in the village of Aguas Calientes below it has forced tourists to hike to the town of Ollantaytambo or to stay in the area’s hotel rooms without their luggage after the protesters had blocked the trains going in and out of the area, according to Channel News Asia.

Some of these tourists found themselves stuck in the area until Saturday, when railway workers and local authorities were able to clear and repair the railroad tracks between cities, though a large boulder stuck in the tracks by the protesters forced them to walk a mile to transportation waiting to take them to the city of Cusco.

Many of the tourists are reportedly flying to the capital city of Lima, where commercial flights out of the country have continued despite the increasing unrest. While many have been able to escape through the help of the government, the country’s tourism board has reported that over 60 individuals have remained stuck in Peru’s southern border, The Guardian reported.

The protests in Peru, instigated by the ousting of President Pedro Castillo by Congress, has escalated as many of his supporters have called for his release, the resignation of current President Dina Boluarte, and the speeding up of elections to replace a deeply-unpopular Congress.

Due to the intensity of the protests against the government, Boluarte had declared a state of emergency to give more power to clamp down and silence the protesters. An estimated 20 people have died since the beginning of the unrest, with 500 more injured.

The protests have caused countries like the United States and Singapore to issue warnings about traveling to the country at this time, with the the former warning that the “demonstrations can be unpredictable and quickly turn violent” while Singapore advised its citizens to defer non-essential travel in the country.