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In several regions of Peru, including Puno and Apurímac, the demonstrations have resumed after a few days of interruption due to the end-of-year holidays. Many protesters blocked the main highways and marched demanding the resignation of the new president, Dina Boluarte, who succeeded Pedro Castillo in December, who was dismissed by Congress.
In Peru, anti-government protests and roadblocks have resumed after a two-week break for the end-of-year holidays, as the Andean country continues to suffer the political and social consequences of the ouster, detention and imprisonment of former President Pedro Castillo. last month.
On Wednesday, protesters blocked highways in the southern regions of Puno, Cusco, Apurímac and Arequipa with stones and tires, as well as Junín, a department located in the center of the country. In Arequipa, according to the AFP news agency, police used tear gas to lift roadblocks.
“There are 10 blockades, mainly around Puno,” government spokesman Alberto Otarola told the press in Lima, the capital, where a crisis center has been set up.
Public buildings and airports are guarded by the police and the military, who may use force to maintain public order after a state of emergency was declared in mid-December.
In areas where protests have revived, crowds chanted slogans calling for the removal of President Dina Boluarte, who took power on December 7 after Congress, led by the right-wing opposition, voted to remove her. of Castle.
The former president, who took office in July 2021, was ousted after attempting to dissolve the legislature and rule by decree, a move widely condemned as an “attempted coup.” The former president was arrested shortly after the vote to remove him and sentenced to prison for at least 18 months on charges of “rebellion” and “conspiracy.”
22 dead and more than 600 injured
The removal of the leftist leader came after months of tension between him and Congress over corruption allegations. But his dismissal is contested by Peruvians who accuse Congress of having plotted from the first day of Castillo’s presidency to remove him from power.
In addition to the departure of Boluarte, the protesters demand the closure of Congress -which has the general rejection of the population-, as well as changes in the Constitution and the release of the former president.
In an attempt to contain the crisis and end the protests, the Peruvian Congress voted on December 20 to advance the general elections from 2026 to April 2024, but many want them to be held earlier, considering that Boluarte, who was not elected , lacks legitimacy to run the country.
In a speech from Lima on Wednesday, Boluarte again called for calm and blamed the protesters for causing “delays, pain, economic losses.” Finally, the president called for “peace and unity to promote the development of the country.”
But in the mountainous region of Apurimac, the leader of the protesters, Milan Knezvich, affirmed that the fight will continue. “As long as Mrs. Dina Boluarte does not resign, this will continue,” he told local Exitosa radio.
Meanwhile, the country’s Human Rights Ombudsman stated that, to date, 22 people have been killed and more than 600 injured in clashes with security forces, especially in the center and south of the country.
With Reuters and AFP
