In this March 26, 2008 file photo, tourists look at the Inca citadel of Macchu Picchu in Peru.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Martin Mejia
March 15, 2014 - 2:32 PM
STREAKING THREAT TO CULTURAL HERITAGE
CUSCO, Peru - Just days after Peru's Ministry of Culture called the practice "disrespectful," two Canadian tourists have been arrested for taking nude photos at the historic Machu Picchu site.
Peruvian media reports say the 20-year-old Canadians were arrested on Wednesday for taking photos of each other at the archaeological monument.
The reports identify the Canadians as Marc Antoine Daudelin and Patrice Mathieu and say they were taken away by police and their cellphone photographs erased.
The arrest of the Canadians came a few hours after a pair of Australian tourists were arrested -- also for taking nude photos at Machu Picchu.
Nude photos or videos taken at Machu Picchu have recently become common on social media and Peruvian officials have called the practice obscene or profane to the sacred site.
They've shown up on the 'almost' nude travel blog MyNakedTrip.com and the Facebook page Naked at Monuments.
Earlier in the week, Peruvian authorities announced they were stepping up security at Machu Picchu to prevent tourists "from committing this type of behaviour."
A video posted to YouTube is of anonymous streakers at Machu Picchu
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014