Peru's Machu Picchu, Inca trail ordered closed as protests flare

22/1/2023 7:16

        Peruvian authorities ordered the closure of the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu and the Inca trail which leads to the world-renowned archeological site as of Saturday amid anti-government demonstrations that have spread nationwide and left a mounting death toll.
        
        Dozens of Peruvians were injured after tensions flared again on Friday as police clashed with protesters, with security forces in capital city Lima using tear gas to repel demonstrators throwing glass bottles and stones, as fires burned in the streets.
        
        Some 46 people have been killed in the weeks-long clashes and another nine in traffic accidents related to the barricades set up amid the protests.
        
        In the Cusco region, the gateway to Machu Picchu, Glencore's major Antapaccay copper mine suspended operations on Friday after protesters attacked the premises - one of the largest in the country - for the third time this month.