Peruvians march for peace as country awaits more protests after Castillo’s removal

Thousands of people marched in Peru on Tuesday demanding “peace and tranquility,” at a time when the country’s authorities await a new wave of protests after a pause in the deadly riots that left 22 dead and that coincided with the Christmas holidays.

Carrying a long red and white flag, and many wearing the jersey of the soccer team, the protesters paraded through some streets of Lima, days after the country suffered one of the most violent episodes in recent years after removal and arrest of former President Pedro Castillo.

Castillo, a former teacher of the left who was in power for almost 17 months, had tried to illegally dissolve Congress and reorganize the Judiciary.

“This is a cry of the Peruvian people, what we want is peace. There are millions of Peruvians and there are only a few vandals, they are not going to take over our country through violence, that is why we are here,” said Mónica Sánchez, a of the protesters.

Other marches took place in the cities of Arequipa and Tacna in the south and in La Libertad in the north. Also in the Andean cities of Huancayo and Puno, according to local television.

The demonstration called ‘Great March for Peace’ was organized by conservative and religious groups. The event had also been called by the police, but the institution withdrew its support amid criticism of alleged interference in political marches that have polarized the country.

On Tuesday, police detained a woman in Lima who minutes earlier had thrown red paint at security agents in protest of dozens of recent deaths.

After Castillo’s expulsion on December 7, his vice president Dina Boluarte took power and announced a transition government until early elections are held, initially scheduled for April 2024.

Castle, 52 years old, is serving pretrial detention for 18 months while he is investigated by the prosecution for alleged “rebellion and conspiracy” against the State.

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