Peruvian government reopens train services from Machu Picchu

(CNN) — hundreds of tourists aground He is being evacuated in the ancient city of Machu Picchu after a state of emergency was declared in Peru following the overthrow of the president.

Train services and airports are now reopening after last week’s cuts and closures.

civil unrest took Peru by storm earlier this month when the former president arrived Pedro Castillo accused and arrestedand his removal from power has accelerated long-simmering political tensions in the country. Rail and air travel services were interrupted as protesters stormed airports.

PeruRail, Peru’s rail operator for the country’s south and southeast regions, said on Saturday that trains have resumed service to and from Machu Picchu in emergencies.

A train carrying stranded tourists arrives in Ollantaytambo, Peru, on December 17.

Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images

“For this purpose, we work in coordination with Machu Picchu Municipality to ensure that people get on these trains appropriately, and we give priority to the care of the elderly, those with health problems and families with children.”

Outbound and return trains Machu PicchuThe primary means of access to the UNESCO World Heritage Site was halted on Tuesday, and PeruRail said in a statement that it regretted the interruption of its services “caused by a situation beyond our company’s control”.

PeruRail also said that the evacuees will be taken by bus from the Piscacucho region to the city of Cuzco, where Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ) is located.

Reopened airports

The airport in Cuzco, 75 kilometers (47 miles) from Machu Picchu, has resumed flights after operations were temporarily suspended due to protests in the country, Peru’s Ministry of Transport said on Friday.

“Passengers who need to move during curfew hours can use their travel tickets as safe behavior,” the ministry said.

Other airports in Peru were also affected by the unrest but are starting to reopen.

On Monday, Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications tweeted that Alfredo Rodriquez Ballon International Airport in Arequipa, Peru’s largest airport in the south, has resumed operations with the first flight departing at 6:15 am.

According to the ministry, the Inca Manco Capac International Airport in Juliaca is expected to resume operations from Tuesday.

unexpectedly stranded

According to Darwin Baca, mayor of Machu Picchu, around 300 tourists from around the world, including Peruvians, South Americans, Americans and Europeans, were stranded in Machu Picchu.

Chimney told CNN on Friday that he had requested helicopter flights to evacuate tourists after demonstrations halted trains and flights.

Stranded tourists walk in Chilca near Machu Picchu.

Alejandra Orosco/Reuters

Following Castillo’s overthrow, protests broke out in cities around the country, and there were sometimes clashes with Peruvian security forces. While some protest in support of Castillo, others want the country to be completely reset with new general elections and the dissolution of Congress.

Machu Picchu Municipal District said on Friday it expects to evacuate tourists by Saturday as tensions escalate across the country. At least 20 people died during the political demonstrations.

The evacuation effort is a joint effort between the mayor of Machu Picchu and the Ministries of Foreign Trade and Tourism, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Culture, and Machu Picchu County Municipality.

Warnings from international governments

The UK embassy in Lima, Peru, has advised British citizens to register via the platform.iPeru” through their online form and with local authorities at the Cultural Center on Avenida Pachacutec.

The U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory for citizens traveling in Peru, which it has listed as a level three “re-evaluate travel” destination. Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks travelers in Peru to register STEP alerts From the US Embassy if they haven’t already.

In a speech on Sunday, Pope Francis called for peace in Peru.

“We pray for peace in Peru, an end to violence in the country, and a path of dialogue to overcome the political and social crisis affecting the people.”