Australian consulate in Peru on high alert to assist stranded tourists in Machu Picchu amid unrest

DFAT said it stands ready to provide consular assistance to any Australians affected by the Machu Picchu and Inca trail closure as protests continue to wreak havoc across Peru.

Peruvians are protesting against the government, demanding a general election to be called and the removal of President Boluarte. Source: Getty / picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty I

Australians are being urged to follow the directions of local authorities in Peru as violent protests have led to the indefinite closure of Machu Picchu and the Inca trail.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it is continuing to monitor the ongoing civil unrest in Peru closely as the Lima embassy confirmed both sites have been temporarily closed, as well as the rail services to and from the locations.

"We stand ready to provide consular assistance to any Australian citizens affected by the closures," a DFAT spokesperson said in a statement to SBS News.

It remains unclear if any Australians are stranded along the Inca trail or at Machu Picchu.

More than 170 Australian tourists contacted Australian consular officials last month seeking assistance out of disconnected roads and airports when Peru announced a state of emergency.

Peruvian authorities ordered the closure of the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu and the Inca trail 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.

The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu attracted more than a million tourists a year before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Source: Getty / Markus Daniel

In the Cusco region, the gateway to Machu Picchu, Glencore's GLEN.L 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.

Airports in Arequipa, Cusco and the southern city of Juliaca were also attacked by demonstrators, delivering a fresh blow to Peru's tourism industry.

Cultural authorities in Cusco said in a statement that "in view of the current social situation in which our region and the country are immersed, the closure of the Inca trail network and Machu Picchu has been ordered, as of January 21 and until further notice".

The imposing Incan citadel is a major tourist attraction, with over a million visitors per year, though that number was reduced due to the pandemic.

Protests have rocked Peru since former President Pedro Castillo was ousted in December after he attempted to dissolve the legislature to prevent an impeachment vote.

The unrest, which until this week has been concentrated in Peru's south, has prompted the government to extend a state of emergency to six regions, curtailing some civil rights.

Anyone with concerns for Australians can contact the Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 in Australia or [phone] outside Australia. Advice for travellers can be found at www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/peru.