Peru announced on Monday that it was considering a temporary closure of the Machu Picchu site, four days after residents went on strike against what they denounced as the “privatization” of the sale of entrance tickets to the most visited Inca site in the world.
• Read also: Peru: Strike slows down tourism activity in Machu Picchu
About 700 tourists were evacuated on Saturday from the most visited Inca site in the world, due to this social movement.
According to Culture Minister Leslie Ortega, the crowd leaders proposed closing the site for security reasons, in light of the absence of dialogue between the two parties.
He added: “We will evaluate the group’s requests, one of which is to close the Lapta (Fortress). “It will be painful for everyone, but we will evaluate it,” Mr. Ortega told the public channel.
Opponents launched an “unlimited” strike movement on Thursday to denounce the Ministry of Culture's decision to use a private intermediary to manage online ticket sales.
One local group says the company, Joinnus, could benefit from up to $3.2 million in commissions annually thanks to the new system.
Many businesses have been closed since Thursday, and the railway company Ferrocarril Transandino suspended services to the site on Friday due to the demonstrations.
The Ministry of Culture confirms that the new sales system would allow controlling the flow of tourists and preserving the castle, which has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 1983.
The archaeological complex is located 130 kilometers from the city of Cusco and at an altitude of 2,438 meters above sea level. It was built in the 15th century by order of the Inca Emperor Pachacutec (1438-1470) and was discovered by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911.
