Earthquake destroys city of Cuzco
An earthquake measuring 7 on the Mercalli scale destroyed the city of Cuzco on May 21, 1950. This natural disaster marked the beginning of the urban modernization of the city, with significant state resources allocated to reconstruction.
On May 21, 1950, an earthquake measuring 7 on the Mercalli scale destroyed the city of Cuzco. As a result of the earthquake and the reconstruction effort, the State poured significant resources into the city and the region, creating in 1952 the Junta de Reconstrucción y Fomento Industrial del Cuzco, which would administer the reconstruction funds. It is in this process that the current city of Cuzco was created as a tourist attraction, and the Machu Picchu Hydroelectric Plant and the Cachimayo Fertilizer Factory were built in 1965. This event marked a central milestone in the beginning of the urban modernization of the city of Cuzco.