"At least 900 tourists were stranded near the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu on Tuesday, Peru's tourism minister said, after a passenger train service was suspended due to a protest. PeruRail said service was suspended on Monday because the route in Peru's mountainous Cusco region had been blocked by rocks of various sizes as residents clashed with authorities and bus companies."
"PeruRail's local unit also said third parties had excavated part of its rail route, which affected the track's stability and slowed down the evacuation of tourists. Protesters say there is a lack of transparency and fairness in the process of replacing tourist bus operator Consettur after its concession expired, paving the way for different local businesses to benefit from the vital industry."
Protests in Aguas Calientes and surrounding areas disrupted transport to Machu Picchu after the concession of bus operator Consettur expired. Residents blocked the PeruRail route with rocks and excavated parts of the rail, compromising track stability and prompting suspension of passenger train service. Peru's tourism minister reported that 1,400 tourists were evacuated on Monday while about 900 remained stranded in Aguas Calientes. The dispute arose when a neighboring district commissioned a different bus company, and local protesters prevented the new operator from running services. Protesters demand transparency and fairness in the replacement process to allow local businesses to benefit.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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