Tourists Damage The Sacred Temple Of Machu Picchu

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Every day a multitude of tourists visit the ruins of Machu Picchu, the enigmatic Inca citadel located in the Peruvian Andes and considered one of the wonders of the world.

Five of its recent visitors are in serious trouble after being accused of illegally entering this archaeological gem and damaging the remains of the buildings that comprise it.

According to local media, three Argentine citizens, one Brazilian, one French, and one Chilean entered the scene after the doors closed on Saturday night and were arrested by security guards shortly before 6 a.m. on Sunday.

According to the Culture Directorate of the city of Cuzco, the Argentine Nahuel Gómez, 28, faces charges for being the alleged person responsible for causing damage to the so-called Temple of the Sun, which is restricted due to its delicate state of conservation.

Gomez not only defecated inside the temple, but caused a stone to detach from a wall that fell from a height of around 20 feet high, causing damage to the temple floor, according to authorities.

The Argentine citizen has already agreed to be the direct perpetrator of the attack, so he remains detained in the Machu Picchu district. The authorities of the public prosecutor's office and the judiciary will already see the penalty they impose on him,”Cuzco police chief Víctor Patiño told the Andean city daily Correo.

Gómez will be accused of committing a crime against the cultural heritage of Peru.

The other five tourists had to pay a fine for their illegal entry and were deported to Bolivia this Wednesday, the Peruvian National Police told the media.

Peru's Ministry of Culture condemned the behavior of tourists and called on visitors to respect and protect the country's rich archaeological heritage.