Tourists are AIR-LIFTED from Machu Picchu after they were stranded on the Inca mountain citadel for days due to protests across Peru
- Hundreds of tourists have been stuck at Machu Picchu site for nearly a week
- President Castillo triggered a state of emergency in Peru on December 7
- Protestors have closed airports, blocked roads and the train to Machu Picchu
Tourists have been airlifted out of Machu Picchu after they were stranded on the Inca mountain citadel for days due to protests across Peru.
More than 300 tourists have been stuck at the 15th-century site for nearly a week after the train track to access the site was blocked by boulders placed by protestors.
Protests in the country, in which Peruvian authorities say 20 people have died, were sparked when leftist President Pedro Castillo tried to illegally dissolve Congress but was impeached and arrested.
Authorities in Peru have now airlifted stranded tourists from Machu Picchu to the city of Cusco.
Tourists have been airlifted out of Machu Picchu after they were stranded on the Inca mountain citadel for days due to protests across Peru
The train track to access the site was blocked by boulders placed by protestors. Pictured: Workers trying to remove the rock
Ousted president Pedro Castillo could be jailed for up to 10 years if found guilty of rebellion and conspiracy
Helicopters have been used to rescue those considered vulnerable from a height of 2,500 metres in the Andes, according to the BBC.
Pedro Castillo declared the month-long State of emergency on December 7 before an impeachment vote could be held, triggering Peru’s current political unrest.
The ousted president now stands accused of rebellion and conspiracy and could be jailed for up to 10 years if found guilty, according to public prosecutor Alcides Diaz.
Protests have erupted since his arrest, crippling Peru’s transport system, including airports and roads.
More than 300 tourists have been stuck at the 15th-century site for nearly a week. Pictured: Some had to escape on foot
Authorities in Peru have now airlifted stranded tourists from Machu Picchu (file image) to the city of Cusco
Protestors want Castillo, who is being held in pre-trial detention, to be released and for a general election to be held as soon as possible.
They have burned police stations, taken over an airstrip used by the armed forces and invaded the runway of the international airport in Arequipa, a gateway to some of Peru’s tourist attractions.
Some transport links have now been reopened. Cusco opened on Friday and Arequipa on Monday – with others due to follow.
Congress is due to vote today on whether to bring elections forwards – after initially rejecting an earlier date a few days ago.
The latest political crisis has only deepened the instability gripping the country, with six presidents coming and going in as many years.