San Pedro Market merchants warn of safety risks in Cusco

Merchants at the historic San Pedro Central Market in Cusco have warned that the site has become a “time bomb” due to the disorganized installation of temporary stalls from an adjacent itinerant fair.

Formal vendors report that these structures block main access points and emergency evacuation routes, leaving users and tourists vulnerable to potential earthquakes or fires. Additionally, merchants have identified a massive network of unauthorized electrical connections, alleging that fair organizers are siphoning electricity directly from the market's main supply without technical authorization or civil defense oversight. This creates a high risk of large-scale short circuits.

Karin Vargas, the general secretary of the market, stated that the Cusco Crime Prevention Prosecutor's Office has been formally notified of these irregularities. The formal vendors' union is demanding immediate intervention from the provincial mayor to remove the street stalls and stop the unauthorized energy use to prevent a tragedy.