Thousands of tourists stranded in Machu Picchu amid Peru upheaval

The political crisis in Peru has left 5,000 tourists stranded since Wednesday in Cusco, the gateway to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

“We are concerned because there are tourists - children and elderly people - who are walking from Machu Picchu. The hike is not two hours, it is 8 to 10 hours,” Machu Picchu's Mayor Darwin Baca told local media.

Baca requested humanitarian support from the government with helicopters to mobilize tourists.