Dominicana_1965
22nd February 2008, 21:11
Rail access to the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu, Peru's leading tourist attraction, has been shut after workers went on strike against private development around archaeological sites.
The regional workers' federation in Cuzco, the staging place for travel to the mountain fort, called for a two-day strike that began on Thursday.
PeruRail, a UK company that operates tourist trains between Cuzco and Machu Picchu, said it would suspend traffic during the strike in order to avoid incidents.
The protests were called against a law which would allow private firms a presence close to Peru's archaeological sites.
Protesters branded the law an "affront to the heritage" of the country.
Legislators last week ratified the disputed laws - originally approved last year - which will facilitate the construction of hotels and restaurants near historic sites.
The laws were modified three days later affording regional governments a say in their implementation.
But local leaders say the concessions are not enough to protect prominent sites such as Machu Picchu. They have also threatened an indefinite regional strike if congress does not dismiss both laws.
Efrain Yepez, a regional assembly leader, said: "The reformed law did not involve Cuzco. It has gaps, so we continue the protests."
Jorge del Castillo, the cabinet chief for Alan Garcia, Peru's president, called the protests "irresponsible" and said that an extended strike could jeopardise Cuzco's role in this year's Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Machu Picchu, a 15th-century site atop an Andes mountain peak - 2,500m-high - attracts about 800,000 tourists a year, most of whom travel there by train.
The city was named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1983.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2118BCC2-F9C7-4BAF-B466-3270AE320122.htm
The regional workers' federation in Cuzco, the staging place for travel to the mountain fort, called for a two-day strike that began on Thursday.
PeruRail, a UK company that operates tourist trains between Cuzco and Machu Picchu, said it would suspend traffic during the strike in order to avoid incidents.
The protests were called against a law which would allow private firms a presence close to Peru's archaeological sites.
Protesters branded the law an "affront to the heritage" of the country.
Legislators last week ratified the disputed laws - originally approved last year - which will facilitate the construction of hotels and restaurants near historic sites.
The laws were modified three days later affording regional governments a say in their implementation.
But local leaders say the concessions are not enough to protect prominent sites such as Machu Picchu. They have also threatened an indefinite regional strike if congress does not dismiss both laws.
Efrain Yepez, a regional assembly leader, said: "The reformed law did not involve Cuzco. It has gaps, so we continue the protests."
Jorge del Castillo, the cabinet chief for Alan Garcia, Peru's president, called the protests "irresponsible" and said that an extended strike could jeopardise Cuzco's role in this year's Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Machu Picchu, a 15th-century site atop an Andes mountain peak - 2,500m-high - attracts about 800,000 tourists a year, most of whom travel there by train.
The city was named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1983.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2118BCC2-F9C7-4BAF-B466-3270AE320122.htm