The decision is due to the concern that it will be understood by demonstrators, who marched by the thousands yesterday in Cusco, after the bloody failed attempt of the previous one.
The international airport of Cusco, a key hub for visits to the world-famous archaeological site of Machu Picchu, the jewel of the Peruvian tourism sector, suspended its operations yesterday Thursday “as a precaution” and “until further notice” due to the mass mobilizations that are shaking the Peru for over a month, the Ministry of Transport announced.
The decision is due to the concern that it will be understood by demonstrators, who marched by the thousands yesterday in Cusco, after the bloody failed attempt of the previous one.
A heavy police and military force was deployed yesterday around Cusco’s airport, the country’s second busiest, with around a hundred flights connecting the city to the capital Lima on a weekly basis.
The day before Wednesday, protesters who tried to storm the corridors were pushed back by law enforcement. The day was marked by violent incidents with at least one protester dead and a total of more than 50 injured, including 19 police officers, according to the People’s Ombudsman, an independent human rights watchdog.
In what was once the capital of the Inca empire, a magnet for tourism in Peru, a hotel of the international chain Marriott was stoned during a demonstration on the night of Wednesday to Thursday.
It is the second time the airport has been shut down since protests broke out in December against new president Dina Bolluarte, following the suspension, arrest and pretrial detention of former president Pedro Castillo, who was elected with a radical leftist party. In December, its operation was suspended for five days.
According to the figures of the Ombudsman, at least 42 people have lost their lives in the protests.
Mass mobilizations continue in 10 of Peru’s 25 regions, especially in the cities of Tacna, Moquegua, Puno, Avancay, Apurimac, Arequipa, Madre de Dios and Huancavelica, in the south and east, as well as in San Martin, in the north.
Many roads have been closed in these regions, according to the authorities.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
