Peru Seven people, including three teenagers, have been killed since Sunday in ongoing protests against the country’s new president, Dina Boluarti, who came to power following the ouster of former president Pedro Castillo, authorities said.
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On Sunday, two people died in clashes between police and protesters in Andauailas, in the south of the country. Five more people died on Monday in the city of Arequipa and Boluarte’s home region of Apurimac.
Peru’s leftist President Pedro was ousted on Wednesday after Congress voted to impeach him and was subsequently arrested.
Congress voted to impeach Castillo, ignoring his announcement of the dissolution of Congress, the declaration of a state of emergency and a curfew. A few hours later, Peru’s first vice president, Boluarte, was sworn in as president, becoming Peru’s first female president.
Boluarte appointed a new cabinet on Saturday. Former prosecutor Pedro Angulo was named prime minister.
Boluarte tried Sunday to defuse tensions, promising to try to “reach an agreement” with Congress to hold presidential elections in April 2024 instead of July 2026 and declaring a state of emergency in restive districts.
Protesters, however, continued to demand Boluarte’s resignation, blocking roads with logs, stones and burning tires in several cities.
Some 2,000 protesters destroyed runway lights and set fire to guard huts at Arequipa airport on Monday, forcing the airport to close for several hours before police fired tear gas to disperse them. One person was killed in these clashes.
Four more people died on Monday as special task force police cracked down on protests in Boluarte’s home region of Apurimac. In this region on Sunday, two protesters were killed in clashes with security forces as they attempted to storm an airport.
Protesters also set fire to the prosecutor’s office and a police station in the Apurimac region on Monday, while in Arequipa, protesters occupied one of Peru’s largest factories belonging to the Gloria dairy company.
STILL Human Rights Office spokeswoman Marta Urtado warned that “the situation could escalate further” and asked for “restraint on the part of all those involved”. She also called on the authorities to “allow people to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of opinion and speech”.
Castillo has been in police custody since Wednesday night under investigation for sedition and conspiracy. The government on Monday sacked 26 regional prefects appointed by Castillo, accusing them of “inciting protests”.
Mexican, Argentina, Colombia And Bolivia Left-wing governments issued a joint statement in support of Castillo, saying he has been “a victim of anti-democratic persecution” since his election.
Castillo won the second round of the presidential election in June 2021 with 50.12% of the vote. His rival was right-wing politician Keiko Fujimori.
