The archaeological site of Machu Picchu, an Inca fortress and jewel of the tourism sector in Peru, reopened and began welcoming visitors yesterday wednesday after 25 days that the world famous attraction was closed due to mass mobilizations that have been rocking the Latin American country since December.

The first tourists entered the archaeological site yesterday morning, with rare for the season sunshine, an AFP journalist found. They were able to visit various sectors and places of worship in the llaqta (“citadel” in the Quechua language) in peace, as the crowd was not so large.

About 700 touristsmainly British and French, toured the archaeological site until yesterday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Culture, whose officials attended the opening of the archaeological site.

“The capacity is 4,044 visitors a day from 06:00 to 16:00,” explained Maritza Rosa Cadia, head of the ministry’s services in Cusco, the capital of the once Inca empire, which is 110 kilometers from Machu. Pitch.

The monument, part of the world cultural heritage as defined by UNESCO since 1983, closed on January 21stwhen the demonstrations of thousands of people demanding to resign the president Dina Boluarte.

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The railway line, the only means of reaching Machu Picchu, from the city of Oyadaitambo, a distance of 30 kilometers, was cut for 18 days. Authorities said protesters damaged the tracks.

The region faced shortages of essential products due to the disruption of train services.

In the last week rail traffic partially resumed, but access to the trains was only offered to locals.

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Mrs. Kadia explained that the authorities took advantage of the closure of the archaeological site to proceed with the “maintenance” of the paths.

Tourism is a key sector of the Peruvian economy, providing employment opportunities for many Peruvians; before the novel coronavirus pandemic broke out in 2020, the country was attracting around 4.5 million visitors annually.