DO NOT BOOK A TOUR WITH "ALPACA EXPEDITIONS"
On August 19, it was reported that a porter (called “arriero” or “porteador” in Spanish) died after being abandoned by members of the company Alpaca Expeditions. The complaint was made via social media by his children, who added that the company in question tried to wash its hands of the matter by claiming that the porter was drunk and had gotten lost on his own.
Tourism agencies hire porters to carry tourists’ luggage, and by law, each porter is only allowed to carry a maximum of 20 kg. This company has been accused of hiring too few porters to minimize labor costs and of forcing them to carry more than 20 kg (even tables!).
I’d appreciate it if you could share this information with anyone you know who is planning to travel to Peru or Cusco. Tourists should not turn a blind eye to the mistreatment these companies subject their workers to. You can also help by leaving a —bad— review on TripAdvisor and Google Reviews for the business.
TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294314-d2547689-Reviews-Alpaca_Expeditions-Cusco_Cusco_Region.html
Sources:
- https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&v=1371766571745298 (primary source)
- https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-dos-porteadores-murieron-el-camino-inca-a-machu-picchu-y-la-ruta-mollepatasalkantay-1088250.aspx