Big Take Murder on Rainbow Mountain
Jul 16, 2025
Marcelo Rochabrun, Bloomberg’s Peru bureau chief, sheds light on the stunning yet troubled Rainbow Mountain. He explores how this vibrant destination, significant to the Indigenous Quechua community, became a tourism hotspot since 2017. While the influx of visitors has brought economic growth, it has also led to community tensions and tragic violence among locals. An ambush tragically highlights the darker side of this tourism boom, prompting a discussion about the urgent need for balance between visitors and residents.
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True Origins of Rainbow Mountain Colors
- Rainbow Mountain's iconic colors come from mineral deposits, not melting glaciers.
- Its viral fame is due to social media, not natural disasters revealing its colors.
Flavio Leads Road Construction
- Flavio Illatinco led his indigenous community to build a road making Rainbow Mountain accessible.
- This road reduced travel time to three hours, opening tourism to many more visitors.
Tourism as a Lifeline
- Tourism became a lifeline for the impoverished community, offering opportunities beyond subsistence farming.
- The influx of millions helped future generations attend university and improve their lives.