SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Machu Picchu Train Halted Over Water Protests
Authorities suspend tourist route to ancient ruins amid protests over irrigation scheme that could leave town without water
Sep 21, 2010
Authorities in Peru have suspended train services to the Inca citadel Machu Picchu due to protests over an irrigation project that critics say could leave communities without water.
The train, which ferries about 1,500 tourists to the ruins daily, will be halted today and tomorrow while trade unions, university students, peasants and other groups hold a 48-hour strike in Cusco, a regional capital and jumping-off point for visitors to the archaeological site.
Rail authorities said the train, which is the only way to reach Machu Picchu besides an arduous trek, would be suspended as a precaution until the strike ended and tension eased. In an apparently separate event, a forest fire flared about eight miles from Machu Picchu.
Violent clashes last week between police and protesters left one man dead and 44 injured. Protesters say the Majes-Siguas II irrigation project will leave the town of Espinar, 400 miles south of the capital Lima, without water.
The project envisages a dam and water system to irrigate 95,000 acres of agricultural land in the region of Arequipa, part of a Peruvian government plan to boost agriculture and diversify the economy away from mining. Officials said the irrigation project could generate 150,000 or 200,000 jobs.
Authorities issued a decree guaranteeing Espinar's water supplies but residents's suspicion grew after the state investment agency, allegedly without consultation, awarded a concession to a private consortium called Angostura-Siguas.
"The province of Espinar has its own needs that have never been considered," Nestor Cuti, a protest leader, told reporters. "With this concession we are condemned to have a lack of water for life."
The Peruvian prime minister, Jose Chang, said the government would negotiate if protests were halted. "We are sure we will be able to reach a solution that will be just for the town of Espinar."
Peru is one of South America's most volatile countries and is regularly rocked by protests. Access to water is especially sensitive given that Andean glaciers are melting and heavily populated coastal areas are near desert.
Authorities were today battling a forest fire in a nature reserve near Machu Picchu. The cause of the fire, which started yesterday, was not known, nor was the extent of devastation, said Nilo Chavez, a tourism and ecology official in Cusco.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Authorities in Peru have suspended train services to the Inca citadel Machu Picchu due to protests over an irrigation project that critics say could leave communities without water.
The train, which ferries about 1,500 tourists to the ruins daily, will be halted today and tomorrow while trade unions, university students, peasants and other groups hold a 48-hour strike in Cusco, a regional capital and jumping-off point for visitors to the archaeological site.
Rail authorities said the train, which is the only way to reach Machu Picchu besides an arduous trek, would be suspended as a precaution until the strike ended and tension eased. In an apparently separate event, a forest fire flared about eight miles from Machu Picchu.
Violent clashes last week between police and protesters left one man dead and 44 injured. Protesters say the Majes-Siguas II irrigation project will leave the town of Espinar, 400 miles south of the capital Lima, without water.
The project envisages a dam and water system to irrigate 95,000 acres of agricultural land in the region of Arequipa, part of a Peruvian government plan to boost agriculture and diversify the economy away from mining. Officials said the irrigation project could generate 150,000 or 200,000 jobs.
Authorities issued a decree guaranteeing Espinar's water supplies but residents's suspicion grew after the state investment agency, allegedly without consultation, awarded a concession to a private consortium called Angostura-Siguas.
"The province of Espinar has its own needs that have never been considered," Nestor Cuti, a protest leader, told reporters. "With this concession we are condemned to have a lack of water for life."
The Peruvian prime minister, Jose Chang, said the government would negotiate if protests were halted. "We are sure we will be able to reach a solution that will be just for the town of Espinar."
Peru is one of South America's most volatile countries and is regularly rocked by protests. Access to water is especially sensitive given that Andean glaciers are melting and heavily populated coastal areas are near desert.
Authorities were today battling a forest fire in a nature reserve near Machu Picchu. The cause of the fire, which started yesterday, was not known, nor was the extent of devastation, said Nilo Chavez, a tourism and ecology official in Cusco.
Authorities in Peru have suspended train services to the Inca citadel Machu Picchu due to protests over an irrigation project that critics say could leave communities without water.
The train, which ferries about 1,500 tourists to the ruins daily, will be halted today and tomorrow while trade unions, university students, peasants and other groups hold a 48-hour strike in Cusco, a regional capital and jumping-off point for visitors to the archaeological site.
Rail authorities said the train, which is the only way to reach Machu Picchu besides an arduous trek, would be suspended as a precaution until the strike ended and tension eased. In an apparently separate event, a forest fire flared about eight miles from Machu Picchu.
Violent clashes last week between police and protesters left one man dead and 44 injured. Protesters say the Majes-Siguas II irrigation project will leave the town of Espinar, 400 miles south of the capital Lima, without water.
The project envisages a dam and water system to irrigate 95,000 acres of agricultural land in the region of Arequipa, part of a Peruvian government plan to boost agriculture and diversify the economy away from mining. Officials said the irrigation project could generate 150,000 or 200,000 jobs.
Authorities issued a decree guaranteeing Espinar's water supplies but residents's suspicion grew after the state investment agency, allegedly without consultation, awarded a concession to a private consortium called Angostura-Siguas.
"The province of Espinar has its own needs that have never been considered," Nestor Cuti, a protest leader, told reporters. "With this concession we are condemned to have a lack of water for life."
The Peruvian prime minister, Jose Chang, said the government would negotiate if protests were halted. "We are sure we will be able to reach a solution that will be just for the town of Espinar."
Peru is one of South America's most volatile countries and is regularly rocked by protests. Access to water is especially sensitive given that Andean glaciers are melting and heavily populated coastal areas are near desert.
Authorities were today battling a forest fire in a nature reserve near Machu Picchu. The cause of the fire, which started yesterday, was not known, nor was the extent of devastation, said Nilo Chavez, a tourism and ecology official in Cusco.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.