The municipality of Humahuaca announced on April 10 that workers from the Secretariat of the Interior and Indigenous Communities have completed repairs to the road leading to the chapel in Cuchillaco, about 24 kilometers away. The work was done ahead of a planned pilgrimage to visit the Virgin of Copacabana.
A team of six workers left early in the morning from Humahuaca by vehicle to Abra Colorada, then repaired a seven-kilometer stretch using only hand tools such as picks and shovels. From Cuchillaco, where the chapel is located, they also fixed two kilometers connecting it to Cerro de la Cruz Mayor, where a procession is scheduled for today at 3 p.m.
On Thursday at 8 a.m., another group of six workers set out for Aguas Blancas—about seven kilometers before Abra Colorada and ten kilometers from Humahuaca—to improve that section by removing stones, leveling terrain, pruning shrubs known locally as churquis, and collecting waste. Due to poor conditions caused by last season’s rains, this crew could not finish all repairs; therefore, a third group was sent yesterday to complete the work.
Today at 5 a.m., Mayor Karina Paniagua will make her own pilgrimage to Cuchillaco carrying support for devotees referred to as ‘esclavos de la Virgen.’ The image is expected in Humahuaca tomorrow.
The improvements are intended to ensure safe passage for participants during these religious events.
