'New Frontiers': Cusco's Position in Peruvian National Identity

Reading Blog 8

Rice 17: “More impor­tant, Cusco defined itself as a potential tourist destination based on the region’s appeal outside the national frontiers of Peru. Long before international travel became an economic proj­ect in Cusco, it served as a critical influence in debates regarding the region’s place in Peruvian nationalism. In fact, Cusco’s legitimacy as the true repre­sen­ta­tion of Peruvian national identity stemmed largely from its claims to be able to attract the interest of international travelers.” 

I chose this passage from Rice’s first chapter because of his use of the terms/phrases ‘national frontiers’, ‘Peruvian nationalism’, and ‘true representation of Peruvian national identity’. Starting with frontiers, in the first sentence of this passage Rice describes the placement of Cusco “outside the national frontiers of Peru,” essentially defining the city and Andean region as ‘the other’ within Peru. The use of ‘frontiers’ is very colonial, as the search for and exploration of the ‘new frontier’ is inherent in the language of colonization throughout its history. It denotes that Cusco and the Andes are an unfamiliar and wild new ‘frontier’ that is ripe for the taking, ready to be explored and colonized. Exploring new frontiers usually involves first contacts with the Indigenous population (including people, flora, fauna, geography), however, Rice is describing Cusco during the advent of international tourism in the 20th century, long after colonial first contacts with the Andes. His use of the term is therefore denoting that the Andes have not been amalgamated into the rest of Peru, which is as we know split into three regions: the coast, the highlands, and the jungle. The highlands, and the Indigenous peoples who populatwe them, are not ‘Peruvian’; rather, they are on the edge of the Peruvian nation, a domestic frontier. 

The next part of this passage speaks on Cusco’s place within Peru’s national identity, and how arguments about its place within Peruvian nationalism are largely centered around its tourism appeal. International tourism to Peru is, and has historically been, focused on the Cusco region. Rice is writing about Machu Picchu and its history of discovery, as both an archaeological wonder and a tourist trap. However, there are many sites in the Cusco area that draw in tourists, as even though Machu Picchu is the most famous site, there are many similar ones, and many other hikes and activities and cultural experiences that draw international travel. The notion that Cusco earned a spot in Peru’s national identity solely from its touristic appeal is pretty ignorant in my opinion. Cusco is the historical capital of the Incan Empire, and thus was the center of Peru and the larger empire for decades. Before various legal and administrative reforms to the economy, Cusco had a thriving economy independently from Lima, based on the Potosí mining industry, textiles craftworks, agriculture, and local tourism, which predated the national system and international marketing of Peru and Machu Picchu as a tourist destination. I guess my point is, Cusco is a modern and historical centre of Peru, and the idea that it’s only value is as a tourist destination, is an erasure of Cusco’s historic position as one of the most influential cities in South American history.