() — At least 16 people, including 10 civilians and six members of the Peruvian armed forces, were injured after clashes between protesters and police in the Peruvian city of Juli on Saturday, according to Peru’s Ombudsman’s Office.
Among the injured was a child under the age of 13 who suffered “tear gas poisoning,” according to a statement from the Chucuito health network, the town where Juli is located.
The people are currently being treated at the Rafael Ortiz Ravines Hospital in Juli, according to the statement. The local health department also reported that the staff of 51 health facilities, including the Rafael Ortiz Ravines Hospital, are on “high alert to provide timely care to the population.”
The clashes broke out after protesters “attacked and burned the police station facilities today” in the city of Juli, according to a statement from Peru’s state news agency Andina, adding that “protesters moved towards the headquarters of the police to demand the departure of the policemen” and Army personnel who support public security in that town.”
The Peruvian National Police tweeted on Saturday that “unknown persons attacked the facilities of the Juli Police Station in Chucuito-Puno, generating disturbances and attacks on law enforcement.”
The Ombudsman of Peru assured that the “acts of violence” and the causes of the injuries will be investigated.
Andina added that another group of protesters tried to storm the naval base on the shores of Lake Titicaca, but they were “repelled by military personnel stationed at the base and who used tear gas to disperse them.”
Anti-government and police protests have spread across Peru in recent months following the ouster and arrest of former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo. At least 60 people have been killed since the protests began late last year, with at least 20 of them in the Puno region, where the town of Chucuito is located.
