The Strikes Go On...

An update from Andrea Tello, our editor in Cusco.

Things are pretty much the same here...Cusco's radicals threaten with one more strike (72 hours this time) starting next week, which will leave the town without flights and buses and trains, etc.  Last Sunday there was this very interesting report on national TV, showing links between these strikes and Ollanta Humala (main opposition to the government, responsible for the killing of 4 police officers 2 years ago).  And they also showed a connection to Hugo Chavez, something that we already knew but didn't want to accept!

Peru is currently host to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), but if protests continue in Cusco, this city will be excluded for safety reasons, as the preparation meetings of APEC 2008, the Meeting of Tourism Working Group (April 5th to 7th) and the Tourism Ministerial Meeting (April 9th to 11th) were supposed to be held in Cusco.

The Minister of Tourism, Mercedes Aráoz, said that the protests are now nonsense since Congress has already approved some modifications to the law in question, giving the regional governments the power to decide if they will license the areas close to the monuments considered cultural heritage.

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts