The High Representative of the European Union calls for an end to violence and for leaders to listen to Peruvian society
19 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has appeared in front of the European Parliament to comment on the situation in Peru, which he has warned is “extraordinarily important and serious”.
Borrell has assured that Peru is currently experiencing “a serious social and political crisis”, but that “what we really have is a serious structural crisis of governance”, a “deep and lasting” crisis that only Peruvians themselves can solve.
“Advancing the elections to this year, which has been one of the main demands during the protests, would undoubtedly have served to ease tensions and begin to restore confidence in democratic institutions,” he asserted.
“And, in fact, after a moment of initial doubt, the (Peruvian, Dina) Boluarte president ended up declaring herself in favor of organizing those early elections and cutting her term accordingly. But she cannot dissolve Congress, it has to be Congress self-dissolve and doesn’t seem to want to, or at least hasn’t wanted to until now,” added Borrell.
Therefore, he stated, “the situation is blocked”: “It must be recognized that the elections are not the marvelous and miraculous solution to all problems, but it does seem to be a necessary condition so that, through consensual measures of more long term, governance and social cohesion can be improved”.
REJECT THE VIOLENCE OF THE PROTESTS
He has also criticized the violence of the protests that began in December 2022, especially “the disproportionate use of force by those who have a monopoly on force and the mission of ensuring the safety of citizens.”
“This is how I personally conveyed it to the Chancellor, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. (Ana Cecilia) Gervasi, during our last meeting, pointing out to her that it was essential that the ongoing investigations clarify who and how used firearms, who and how disproportionately used force, and that they are responsible for their actions to justice”, Borrell has sentenced.
On the other hand, he has considered the visit to Peru in recent weeks by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) “a very important step”, and hopes that “the final recommendations of this mission can serve to clarify what happened.”
“It is Peruvian society that has to find a way out of this crisis, a crisis of democracy and representation. And if that demand is not heard, if reforms are not made, if measures are not taken, the link will definitely be broken. between political representatives and society”, the High Representative warned the European parliamentarians.
