08:52 | Cusco (Cusco region), Feb. 10.
The
Ministry of Culture, through the
Decentralized Directorate of Culture in Cusco (DDC Cusco) and the
Machu Picchu National Archaeological Park Management, will carry out a preventive and gradual pruning of the historic pisonay tree located in the main square of the llaqta (Inca city) on February 12.
This measure aims to ensure the safety of visitors, workers, and tour guides.
The intervention will be undertaken following a thorough technical assessment that included specialized evaluations and controlled pruning.
The work will be conducted under strict conservation and safety protocols.
According to the preliminary technical report, specialists determined that the pisonay specimen is undergoing a critical process of dehydration and natural desiccation, having completed its biological life cycle.
Due to persistent climatic factors in the area, including heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds, the tree poses an imminent risk of collapse.
This situation represents a threat to the physical safety of the thousands of people who pass daily along the exit route of circuits 2 and 3, as well as a potential risk to nearby archaeological structures.
Prevention
"Our absolute priority is the safety of visitors and the preservation of the environment surrounding our World Heritage site," Medina pointed out.
"Although the loss of a historic specimen is regrettable from a landscape perspective, the technical assessment—which included the opinion of Sernanp—was conclusive: the pisonay has completed its life cycle, and its continued physical presence poses a latent danger," he explained.
The Ministry of Culture specified that the intervention will be carried out with the utmost respect and sensitivity, in line with Machu Picchu's outstanding universal value as a cultural and natural heritage site unique in the world.
(END) NDP/JOT/MVB
Published: 2/9/2026