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Thousands of tourists have reportedly been left stranded in the Peruvian city of Cusco along with hundreds of others in the area around the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu because of anti-government protests, Sky News reports.

The demonstrations were sparked by the ousting earlier this month of former president Pedro Castillo who is set to be held in jail for 18 months ahead of his trial on rebellion and conspiracy charges.

He denies the charges and insists he remains the country's lawful leader. But he could be jailed for up to 10 years if found guilty, according to a public prosecutor.

The nation's new president, Dina Boluarte, the former VP, was sworn in on Wednesday last week after Mr Castillo tried to dissolve parliament and rule by decree until new elections, before he was removed from office by politicians.

In a vote in congress, they accused Mr Castillo of "permanent moral incapacity".

There have been angry protests by Mr Castillo's supporters demanding a fresh presidential election, which has resulted in police using tear gas and gunfire to try to quell the unrest. At least 18 people have been killed in clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Protesters forced the closure of five Peruvian airports, including the third largest, Cusco international, which serves a number of tourist sites including Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"There are 5,000 tourists stranded in the city of Cusco, they are in their hotels waiting for flights to restart," Darwin Baca, mayor of the town of Machu Picchu, told the AFP news agency.

There have so far been no reports of any tourists being attacked but there is concern about some guests being forced to extend their stays.