Associated Press
Residents near Peru's southern highland tourist destinations are fighting two government proposals to expand private development around Machu Picchu and other historical sites, including the ancient Inca capital of Cusco.
After burning tires and blocking roads around Cusco last week, protestors are threatening more unrest if the Peruvian Congress does not reject the two proposed laws, said Hugo Gonzales, president of the department of Cusco, where Machu Picchu (see video) is located.
(Related story: Machu Picchu Under Threat From Pressures of Tourism [April 15, 2002])
PeruRail suspended the only train service to Machu Picchu on Thursday after protesters closed roads and blocked access to public transportation. Tourists were transported out of the affected areas in police vehicles.
The proposed laws, one of which was already rejected but requires a second vote, would ease construction restrictions in Cusco and allow for more hotels to be built near archaeological sites. The area between Cusco and Machu Picchu is dotted with ancient Inca ruins.
The second law is expected to be voted down as well.
Machu Picchu, ruins of a citadel built in the 1400s, is perched in the clouds at 8,000 feet (2,430 meters) above sea level on an Andean mountaintop.
Currently there is only one train to the nearby settlement of Aguas Calientes, and one hotel at the Machu Picchu site.
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