At least 900 tourists were left stranded near Machu Picchu after a protest caused the suspension of train service, local officials said. Access to the ancient UNESCO World Heritage site in Peru was blocked earlier this week after protesters used “rocks of various sizes” to disrupt the passenger service in the country’s mountainous Cusco region. Meanwhile, bus services from a neighboring district were also prevented from running due to the protests. Visitors to the historic Inca site became unwittingly embroiled in the dispute, in which protesters have demanded representation for their interests in the bidding process for a new bus operator. Tourism Minister Desilu Leon reported that 1,400 people had been evacuated on Monday, but another 900 had been forced to remain in Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Machu Picchu. Every day, around 4,500 people visit the site, making it Peru’s most popular cultural destination. Over the weekend, cultural heritage campaign group New7Wonders said it sent a letter to the Peruvian government saying Machu Picchu’s credibility as one of the new Wonders of the World could be affected if the dispute escalated.
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