Eduardo Gamarra, Professor of Politics and International Relations,
Florida International University
Fri, January 20, 2023
A movement on the march.
Fri, January 20, 2023
A movement on the march.
Carlos Garcia Granthon/Fotoholica Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Peru is in the midst of a political and civil crisis. Weeks of protest have culminated in thousands descending on the capital amid violent clashes and running battles with police.
Triggered by the recent removal from power of former leader Pedro Castillo, the protests have exposed deep divisions within the country and are being encouraged by a confluence of internal factors and external agitators.
The Conversation asked Eduardo Gamarra, an expert on Latin American politics at Florida International University, to explain the wider context of the protests and what could happen next.
Peru is in the midst of a political and civil crisis. Weeks of protest have culminated in thousands descending on the capital amid violent clashes and running battles with police.
Triggered by the recent removal from power of former leader Pedro Castillo, the protests have exposed deep divisions within the country and are being encouraged by a confluence of internal factors and external agitators.
The Conversation asked Eduardo Gamarra, an expert on Latin American politics at Florida International University, to explain the wider context of the protests and what could happen next.
What sparked the protests in Peru?
The immediate trigger was events on Dec. 7, 2022, that saw now-ousted President Castillo embark on what has been described as an attempted coup. But whether it was a “coup” is subject to debate. Castillo’s supporters say he was trying to head off a different type of coup, one instigated by Congress.
Castillo – a leftist, Indigenous former teacher from the country’s south – tried to shut down a Congress intent on impeaching him over corruption claims and accusations of treason. He called on the military to support him, and his intention was to form a constituent assembly to reform the country’s constitution. But his plan didn’t work. The military rejected Castillo’s ploy, and Congress refused to be dissolved and went ahead with its impeachment vote, removing him from power.
The events of that day set off the protests that have built in momentum over the subsequent weeks.
But while the events of Dec. 7 were the immediate trigger, it is important to understand that this crisis was long in the making.
What is the wider background of the political crisis?
The crisis is rooted in the nature of Peru’s political system. In part by design, the country’s constitution, which was adopted in 1993 but amended a dozen times since, creates ambiguity in who has the greater power – the president or Congress. Constitutionally, Congress is given enormous scope to limit executive power, including removal through impeachment. The idea was to serve as a bulwark against the excesses of authoritarian-minded presidents. But in reality, it encourages instability and a weak executive. The constitution is so ambiguously written that it also gives wiggle room for presidents who want to shut down Congress, as Castillo unsuccessfully tried to do.
Meanwhile, Peru has seen a dismantling of its old, established political party system. Once-powerful parties no longer exist or struggle to get support. As a result, the country’s party system has fractured – more than a dozen parties are represented in Congress, which makes it hard for any one leader or party to achieve a majority. In short, it makes it hard to govern when you have no legislative base to do so. For example, Castillo had the support of only 15 members of his own party in the 130-seat assembly.
On top of all that, the country is deeply polarized and divided along a number of different lines: ethnic, racial, economic and – as the protests have fully shown – regional.
Who is protesting and just how large is the movement?
First off, they are Castillo supporters. While he had no real power base in the country’s capital, Lima, Castillo – as the first real rural president the country has had – had significant support in the south.
The protests have been concentrated around the city of Puno, but support has come from the whole high Andes of southern Peru.
The area is predominantly Quechua and Aymara – the two major Indigenous groups in the Peruvian south. Peruvian Quechua and Aymara are “first cousins” to the same groups over the border in Bolivia. And this is important in the context of the current protests.
Evo Morales, the former president of Bolivia, has long talked about “runasur” – the concept of uniting Indigenous people across the Andes region.
Morales has been blamed by the Peruvian government for stirring up the protests – indeed he has now been banned from entering Peru. No doubt, Bolivian allies have been in Peru’s south mobilizing the movement, and some have been arrested.
But what you are really seeing is a “Bolivia-ization” of the protest movement in Peru. The tactics of the protest movement in Peru are similar to those of the forces behind the pro-Morales unrest in Bolivia of both 2003 and 2019 – the road blockades, the violence against police that has seen at least one officer killed and others injured. That in no way excuses the the brutal response by police, which has seen more than 50 demonstrators killed.
But even in the treatment of these deaths you see echoes of Bolivia. Just as in Bolivia, protesters are framing the anti-demonstration violence by authorities as a “genocide” – claiming that police are targeting Indigenous groups because of who they are.
In my view, that is incorrect. The police are obviously using excessive force, but the officers involved are themselves, in many cases, Indigenous.
First off, they are Castillo supporters. While he had no real power base in the country’s capital, Lima, Castillo – as the first real rural president the country has had – had significant support in the south.
The protests have been concentrated around the city of Puno, but support has come from the whole high Andes of southern Peru.
The area is predominantly Quechua and Aymara – the two major Indigenous groups in the Peruvian south. Peruvian Quechua and Aymara are “first cousins” to the same groups over the border in Bolivia. And this is important in the context of the current protests.
Evo Morales, the former president of Bolivia, has long talked about “runasur” – the concept of uniting Indigenous people across the Andes region.
Morales has been blamed by the Peruvian government for stirring up the protests – indeed he has now been banned from entering Peru. No doubt, Bolivian allies have been in Peru’s south mobilizing the movement, and some have been arrested.
But what you are really seeing is a “Bolivia-ization” of the protest movement in Peru. The tactics of the protest movement in Peru are similar to those of the forces behind the pro-Morales unrest in Bolivia of both 2003 and 2019 – the road blockades, the violence against police that has seen at least one officer killed and others injured. That in no way excuses the the brutal response by police, which has seen more than 50 demonstrators killed.
But even in the treatment of these deaths you see echoes of Bolivia. Just as in Bolivia, protesters are framing the anti-demonstration violence by authorities as a “genocide” – claiming that police are targeting Indigenous groups because of who they are.
In my view, that is incorrect. The police are obviously using excessive force, but the officers involved are themselves, in many cases, Indigenous.
What are the demands of protesters?
Primarily they are trying to force the government in Lima to agree to a constituent assembly to devise a new constitution; what that new constitution would look like is a secondary concern.
They are also trying to force the resignation of the woman brought in to replace Castillo, Dina Boluarte. I believe that is an achievable goal. Boluarte suffers from many of the same problems as her predecessor – she has little real support in Congress and no support in the streets. On top of that, having not been elected into office, she lacks democratic legitimacy in the eyes of many.
President Boluarte has said she will not resign. She is studying the possibility of calling early elections, but there is little chance of her agreeing to a constituent assembly at this time.
As to how this movement will advance the concept of a regional runasur, that is difficult to judge. Certainly the Peruvian situation is no longer just a Peruvian issue – it involves Bolivia, and the protest has vocal support from the Latin American left.
But it is tough to say how well supported the protest movement is within Peru, given how divided the country is. It certainly hasn’t got the backing of urban areas in the north of the country.
Nonetheless, it has shown the mobilizing capacity of Indigenous people – just as in Bolivia. And the goal of many is not to win support, but to demonstrate this strength.
Will Peru’s protest follow the course of past unrest in the region?
That is anybody’s guess. If you follow the logic of the Bolivian comparison you will see increasing turmoil, and potentially more violence – such as that country experienced in 2003 and 2019. If that is the case, returning Peru to the old style Lima-centric politics will be difficult. The deep divides in Peruvian society and the fracturing of its political system make it hard to envision a political force emerging that can deal with all of these issues. And that is what makes the current situation so difficult to resolve.
Meanwhile, comparisons to the protests in Peru that ousted Alberto Fujimori in 2000 may be misplaced. Those protests took place in a very different context – Fujimori was perceived by then as a dictator who had plundered the country of billions of dollars. It was an uprising to remove a dictator.
What you have now is an unpopular ex-president in jail and an unpopular president with contested claims to legitimacy in power. It is very different context. It isn’t a transition from authoritarianism to democracy; it is protest resulting from an inefficient democratic system at a time of a deeply divided country.
This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.
It was written by: Eduardo Gamarra, Florida International University.
Read more:
Peru has a new president, its fifth in five years – who is Pedro Castillo?
Amid coup, countercoup claims – what really went down in Peru and why?
As an academic and as director of a university research center, I've received funding from foundations, US government agencies, and multilateral institutions.
Over 50 injured in Peru as protests cause 'nationwide chaos'
Fri, January 20, 2023
LIMA (Reuters) -Dozens of Peruvians were injured after tensions flared again on Friday night as police clashed with protesters in anti-government demonstrations that are spreading across the country.
In the capital Lima, police officers used tear gas to repel demonstrators throwing glass bottles and stones, as fires burned in the streets, local TV footage showed.
In the country's southern Puno region, some 1,500 protesters attacked a police station in the town of Ilave, Interior Minister Vicente Romero said in a statement to news media.
A police station in Zepita, Puno, was also on fire, Romero said.
Health authorities in Ilave reported eight patients hospitalized with injuries, including broken arms and legs, eye contusions and punctured abdomens.
By late afternoon, 58 people had been injured nationwide in demonstrations, according to a report from Peru's ombudsman.
The unrest followed a day of turmoil in Thursday, when one of Lima's most historic buildings burned to the ground, as President Dina Boluarte vowed to get tougher on "vandals."
The destruction of the building, a near-century-old mansion in central Lima, was described by officials as the loss of a "monumental asset." Authorities are investigating the causes.
Romero on Friday claimed the blaze was "duly planned and arranged."
Thousands of protesters descended on Lima this week calling for change and angered by the protests' mounting death toll, which officially stood at 45 on Friday.
Protests have rocked Peru since President Pedro Castillo was ousted in December after he attempted to dissolve the legislature to prevent an impeachment vote.
The unrest has until this week been concentrated in Peru's south.
In the Cusco region, Glencore's major Antapaccay copper mine suspended operations on Friday after protesters attacked the premises - one of the largest in the country - for the third time this month.
Airports in Arequipa, Cusco and the southern city of Juliaca were also attacked by demonstrators, delivering a fresh blow to Peru's tourism industry.
"It's nationwide chaos, you can't live like this. We are in a terrible uncertainty - the economy, vandalism," said Lima resident Leonardo Rojas.
The government has extended a state of emergency to six regions, curtailing some civil rights.
But Boluarte has dismissed calls for her to resign and hold snap elections, instead calling for dialogue and promising to punish those involved in the unrest.
"All the rigor of the law will fall on those people who have acted with vandalism," Boluarte said on Thursday.
Some locals pointed the finger at Boluarte, accusing her of not taking action to quell the protests, which began on Dec. 7 in response to the ouster and arrest of Castillo.
Human rights groups have accused the police and army of using deadly firearms. The police say protesters have used weapons and homemade explosives.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Leslie Adler and William Mallard)
Fri, January 20, 2023
LIMA (Reuters) -Dozens of Peruvians were injured after tensions flared again on Friday night as police clashed with protesters in anti-government demonstrations that are spreading across the country.
In the capital Lima, police officers used tear gas to repel demonstrators throwing glass bottles and stones, as fires burned in the streets, local TV footage showed.
In the country's southern Puno region, some 1,500 protesters attacked a police station in the town of Ilave, Interior Minister Vicente Romero said in a statement to news media.
A police station in Zepita, Puno, was also on fire, Romero said.
Health authorities in Ilave reported eight patients hospitalized with injuries, including broken arms and legs, eye contusions and punctured abdomens.
By late afternoon, 58 people had been injured nationwide in demonstrations, according to a report from Peru's ombudsman.
The unrest followed a day of turmoil in Thursday, when one of Lima's most historic buildings burned to the ground, as President Dina Boluarte vowed to get tougher on "vandals."
The destruction of the building, a near-century-old mansion in central Lima, was described by officials as the loss of a "monumental asset." Authorities are investigating the causes.
Romero on Friday claimed the blaze was "duly planned and arranged."
Thousands of protesters descended on Lima this week calling for change and angered by the protests' mounting death toll, which officially stood at 45 on Friday.
Protests have rocked Peru since President Pedro Castillo was ousted in December after he attempted to dissolve the legislature to prevent an impeachment vote.
The unrest has until this week been concentrated in Peru's south.
In the Cusco region, Glencore's major Antapaccay copper mine suspended operations on Friday after protesters attacked the premises - one of the largest in the country - for the third time this month.
Airports in Arequipa, Cusco and the southern city of Juliaca were also attacked by demonstrators, delivering a fresh blow to Peru's tourism industry.
"It's nationwide chaos, you can't live like this. We are in a terrible uncertainty - the economy, vandalism," said Lima resident Leonardo Rojas.
The government has extended a state of emergency to six regions, curtailing some civil rights.
But Boluarte has dismissed calls for her to resign and hold snap elections, instead calling for dialogue and promising to punish those involved in the unrest.
"All the rigor of the law will fall on those people who have acted with vandalism," Boluarte said on Thursday.
Some locals pointed the finger at Boluarte, accusing her of not taking action to quell the protests, which began on Dec. 7 in response to the ouster and arrest of Castillo.
Human rights groups have accused the police and army of using deadly firearms. The police say protesters have used weapons and homemade explosives.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Leslie Adler and William Mallard)
Glencore copper mine in Peru suspends operations after another attack
The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company's headquarters in Baar
Fri, January 20, 2023
LIMA (Reuters) -Glencore's Antapaccay copper mine in Peru suspended operations on Friday after protesters attacked the premises for the third time this month, the global commodity giant said, as social unrest in the South American nation continued.
Protesters set fire to the workers' area of the camp and began looting around noon local time, demanding the mine cease its operations and join the demonstrators' call for President Dina Boluarte's resignation, Glencore said in a statement.
Though the situation "was under control" by mid-afternoon, the company announced the "temporary stoppage of its operations" due to the "unacceptable risk" faced by its workers. The mine, located in southern Peru and among the country's largest, was also attacked twice last week.
Peru, the world's second-largest copper producer, has been gripped by growing unrest following weeks of sometimes violent anti-government protests triggered by the ouster of the country's former president last month.
Mines and other parts of Peru's extractive industry have faced disruptions due to road blockades set up by protesters.
The Antapaccay mine was operating at a "restricted" capacity due to the protests, the company said earlier this week. The mine has been unable to transport supplies to its facility due to the blockades since Jan. 4, with only 38% of its workforce in place.
Glencore added that the transport of mineral concentrates remains temporarily suspended.
Company installations and four vehicles suffered heavy damage during last week's protests. In one attack, a building was set on fire while at least one worker was inside.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Isabel Woodford, Marguerita Choy and Paul Simao)
The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company's headquarters in Baar
Fri, January 20, 2023
LIMA (Reuters) -Glencore's Antapaccay copper mine in Peru suspended operations on Friday after protesters attacked the premises for the third time this month, the global commodity giant said, as social unrest in the South American nation continued.
Protesters set fire to the workers' area of the camp and began looting around noon local time, demanding the mine cease its operations and join the demonstrators' call for President Dina Boluarte's resignation, Glencore said in a statement.
Though the situation "was under control" by mid-afternoon, the company announced the "temporary stoppage of its operations" due to the "unacceptable risk" faced by its workers. The mine, located in southern Peru and among the country's largest, was also attacked twice last week.
Peru, the world's second-largest copper producer, has been gripped by growing unrest following weeks of sometimes violent anti-government protests triggered by the ouster of the country's former president last month.
Mines and other parts of Peru's extractive industry have faced disruptions due to road blockades set up by protesters.
The Antapaccay mine was operating at a "restricted" capacity due to the protests, the company said earlier this week. The mine has been unable to transport supplies to its facility due to the blockades since Jan. 4, with only 38% of its workforce in place.
Glencore added that the transport of mineral concentrates remains temporarily suspended.
Company installations and four vehicles suffered heavy damage during last week's protests. In one attack, a building was set on fire while at least one worker was inside.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Isabel Woodford, Marguerita Choy and Paul Simao)
Despite tear gas, Peru protesters vow to keep demonstrating
DANIEL POLITI and FRANKLIN BRICEÑO
Thu, January 19, 2023
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Peru’s capital Friday and were met with volleys of tear gas for the second straight day, as demonstrators made clear they will keep up their mobilizations to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.
Many of the protesters in Lima had arrived from remote Andean regions, where dozens have died amid unrest that has engulfed large portions of the country since Pedro Castillo, Peru’s first leader from a rural Andean background, was impeached and imprisoned after he tried to dissolve Congress last month.
“Dina, resign already! What is that you want with our Peru?” said José Luis Ayma Cuentas, 29, who traveled about 20 hours to get to the country’s capital from the southern Puno region, which has been the site of the deadliest state violence over the past month. “We’re staying until she resigns, until the dissolution of Congress, until there are new elections, otherwise we aren’t going anywhere.”
Until recently, the protests had been mainly in Peru’s southern region, with a total of 55 people killed and 700 injured in the unrest, largely in clashes with security forces.
Protesters now want Lima, home to around one-third of Peru’s population of 34 million, to be the focal point of the demonstrations that began when Boluarte, who was then vice president, was sworn into office on Dec. 7 to replace Castillo. The protests sparked the worst political violence in the country has seen in more than two decades.
At the beginning of the Friday’s protests, the demonstrators seemed more organized than the previous day and they took over key roads in downtown Lima waving flags while chanting, “The spilled blood will never ben forgotten,” “The people don’t give up,” and other slogans.
Police appeared more combative than the day before and after standing watch over protesters that had been blocked into downtown streets they started firing volleys of tear gas.
The firing of tear gas also appeared more indiscriminate. A group of protesters who were sitting in a plaza in front of the Supreme Court without causing a disturbance suddenly had to start running as approaching police fired round after round of tear gas that filled the area with smoke and a pungent smell permeated the air.
“I’m indignant, furious,” said Maddai Pardo Quintana, 48, as she offered water mixed with baking soda to protesters to flush their eyes from the tear gas. “They want us to respect them but if they led by example and respected us, we’d also respect them more.”
Pardo came to Lima to protest against Boluarte from the central province of Chanchamayo and vowed to stay in the capital until the president agrees to resign.
Anger at law enforcement was a constant throughout the march as demonstrators yelled “murderers” when they passed rows of police officers wearing helmets and holding up shields.
A few blocks away, Doris Pacori, 56, stood between police officers and protesters who had been blocked from reaching Congress.
“They are servants of the corrupt, cowards with them but abusive with the people,” Pacori, who held a sign that read, “Dina murderer.”
As night fell, protesters got locked into running battles with police while some demonstrators threw water bottles filled with rocks at officers.
Late Friday, Interior Minister Vicente Romero praised police action during the protests, saying that it “has been very professional.”
Protesters were particularly angry at Boluarte for a defiant speech she gave Thursday night in which she accused protesters of fomenting violence, vowed to prosecute demonstrators and questioned where they received their financing.
“You want to break the rule of law, you want to generate chaos so that within that chaos and confusion you take power,” Boluarte said Thursday night.
“The lady is very cold, she has no feelings, no compassion for other people,” Pardo said.
Boluarte has said she supports a plan to hold fresh elections in 2024, two years ahead of schedule, but protesters unanimously say that isn’t fast enough, particularly considering all the deaths in recent weeks.
Protests and clashes with law enforcement also took place in other parts of the country.
In Arequipa, Peru’s second city, police clashed with protesters that tried to storm the airport.
Also in southern Peru, multinational firm Glencore decided to temporary shut down its Antapaccay copper mine after protesters attacked the site.
Castillo, a political novice who lived in a two-story adobe home in the Andean highlands, eked out a narrow victory in elections in 2021 that rocked Peru’s political establishment and laid bare the deep divisions between residents of the capital and the long-neglected countryside.
Photographed through a fence, people who traveled to the capital from across the country camp out at San Marcos University during an ongoing protest against Peruvian President Dina Boluarte's government and Congress in Lima, Peru, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. Protesters are seeking immediate elections, Boluarte's resignation, the release of ousted President Pedro Castillo and justice for up to protesters killed in clashes with police. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
DANIEL POLITI and FRANKLIN BRICEÑO
Thu, January 19, 2023
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Peru’s capital Friday and were met with volleys of tear gas for the second straight day, as demonstrators made clear they will keep up their mobilizations to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.
Many of the protesters in Lima had arrived from remote Andean regions, where dozens have died amid unrest that has engulfed large portions of the country since Pedro Castillo, Peru’s first leader from a rural Andean background, was impeached and imprisoned after he tried to dissolve Congress last month.
“Dina, resign already! What is that you want with our Peru?” said José Luis Ayma Cuentas, 29, who traveled about 20 hours to get to the country’s capital from the southern Puno region, which has been the site of the deadliest state violence over the past month. “We’re staying until she resigns, until the dissolution of Congress, until there are new elections, otherwise we aren’t going anywhere.”
Until recently, the protests had been mainly in Peru’s southern region, with a total of 55 people killed and 700 injured in the unrest, largely in clashes with security forces.
Protesters now want Lima, home to around one-third of Peru’s population of 34 million, to be the focal point of the demonstrations that began when Boluarte, who was then vice president, was sworn into office on Dec. 7 to replace Castillo. The protests sparked the worst political violence in the country has seen in more than two decades.
At the beginning of the Friday’s protests, the demonstrators seemed more organized than the previous day and they took over key roads in downtown Lima waving flags while chanting, “The spilled blood will never ben forgotten,” “The people don’t give up,” and other slogans.
Police appeared more combative than the day before and after standing watch over protesters that had been blocked into downtown streets they started firing volleys of tear gas.
The firing of tear gas also appeared more indiscriminate. A group of protesters who were sitting in a plaza in front of the Supreme Court without causing a disturbance suddenly had to start running as approaching police fired round after round of tear gas that filled the area with smoke and a pungent smell permeated the air.
“I’m indignant, furious,” said Maddai Pardo Quintana, 48, as she offered water mixed with baking soda to protesters to flush their eyes from the tear gas. “They want us to respect them but if they led by example and respected us, we’d also respect them more.”
Pardo came to Lima to protest against Boluarte from the central province of Chanchamayo and vowed to stay in the capital until the president agrees to resign.
Anger at law enforcement was a constant throughout the march as demonstrators yelled “murderers” when they passed rows of police officers wearing helmets and holding up shields.
A few blocks away, Doris Pacori, 56, stood between police officers and protesters who had been blocked from reaching Congress.
“They are servants of the corrupt, cowards with them but abusive with the people,” Pacori, who held a sign that read, “Dina murderer.”
As night fell, protesters got locked into running battles with police while some demonstrators threw water bottles filled with rocks at officers.
Late Friday, Interior Minister Vicente Romero praised police action during the protests, saying that it “has been very professional.”
Protesters were particularly angry at Boluarte for a defiant speech she gave Thursday night in which she accused protesters of fomenting violence, vowed to prosecute demonstrators and questioned where they received their financing.
“You want to break the rule of law, you want to generate chaos so that within that chaos and confusion you take power,” Boluarte said Thursday night.
“The lady is very cold, she has no feelings, no compassion for other people,” Pardo said.
Boluarte has said she supports a plan to hold fresh elections in 2024, two years ahead of schedule, but protesters unanimously say that isn’t fast enough, particularly considering all the deaths in recent weeks.
Protests and clashes with law enforcement also took place in other parts of the country.
In Arequipa, Peru’s second city, police clashed with protesters that tried to storm the airport.
Also in southern Peru, multinational firm Glencore decided to temporary shut down its Antapaccay copper mine after protesters attacked the site.
Castillo, a political novice who lived in a two-story adobe home in the Andean highlands, eked out a narrow victory in elections in 2021 that rocked Peru’s political establishment and laid bare the deep divisions between residents of the capital and the long-neglected countryside.
Photographed through a fence, people who traveled to the capital from across the country camp out at San Marcos University during an ongoing protest against Peruvian President Dina Boluarte's government and Congress in Lima, Peru, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. Protesters are seeking immediate elections, Boluarte's resignation, the release of ousted President Pedro Castillo and justice for up to protesters killed in clashes with police. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Peru Protesters Gather in Lima in Bid to Topple Boluarte Government
Stephan Kueffner
Thu, January 19, 2023
(Bloomberg) -- Peruvian police in riot gear fired tear gas near congress Thursday as protesters massed in downtown Lima to try to topple the fragile government of President Dina Boluarte.
As the nation’s political crisis enters its seventh week, demonstrators from rural areas traveled hundreds of miles in trucks and buses for what some of them called the “takeover of Lima.”
Clashes between crowds and security forces also continued outside the capital, while more than 100 highway blockades remain in place, according to official figures.
The Andean nation has been roiled by its worst political violence in decades since Boluarte took office on Dec. 7, after her predecessor President Pedro Castillo was impeached. Lima had been relatively unscathed, but protest leaders are now taking their demonstrations to the capital in the hope that they will have more impact there than in impoverished rural areas.
In a national address on Thursday night, Boluarte said that her government remains “firm”, despite the protests. She called for talks, but also said that acts of violence committed during the protests will be punished.
Much of the unrest has been concentrated in the south where Castillo had much of his support, and which is also the heartland of the nation’s mining industry, as well as its tourism sector.
Growing Rage
The demonstrators have grown increasingly enraged as the bloodshed increases. Peru’s Public Ombudsman’s Office has confirmed more than 50 deaths related to the unrest.
Police deployed about 11,800 officers in the capital to try to maintain order. Authorities in Arequipa and Cusco closed airports again in response to the unrest.
Read more: Peru Extends Steepest-Ever Interest Rate Rises Amid Turmoil
Protesters are calling for Boluarte and her government to quit, and for fresh elections. Some also want to rewrite Peru’s market-friendly constitution and for Castillo to be released from detention, where he has been kept amid a criminal investigation due to his attempt to shut congress.
Boluarte’s caretaker administration has faced widespread calls to quit from the day it took office, since it has low approval ratings, took office without a clear mandate from voters and was sworn in by a deeply unpopular congress.
“If police repress the demonstration harshly there’s a risk that people could become much more radical, which would add to the pressure on Boluarte to resign,” Peruvian political analyst Andrea Moncada said in a phone interview.
What Bloomberg Economics Says
“Political instability is showing no signs of abating in Peru, and the economic cost is rising. Our analysis puts the total to date at around 2% of GDP. A large march in Lima planned for Thursday risks significantly escalating the problem.”
— Felipe Hernandez, Latin America economist
The protests are also likely to continue to undermine the country’s economic performance. The disruption caused by the protests will cause “significant headwinds” to economic activity, Goldman Sachs economists wrote in a note Tuesday.
Stephan Kueffner
Thu, January 19, 2023
(Bloomberg) -- Peruvian police in riot gear fired tear gas near congress Thursday as protesters massed in downtown Lima to try to topple the fragile government of President Dina Boluarte.
As the nation’s political crisis enters its seventh week, demonstrators from rural areas traveled hundreds of miles in trucks and buses for what some of them called the “takeover of Lima.”
Clashes between crowds and security forces also continued outside the capital, while more than 100 highway blockades remain in place, according to official figures.
The Andean nation has been roiled by its worst political violence in decades since Boluarte took office on Dec. 7, after her predecessor President Pedro Castillo was impeached. Lima had been relatively unscathed, but protest leaders are now taking their demonstrations to the capital in the hope that they will have more impact there than in impoverished rural areas.
In a national address on Thursday night, Boluarte said that her government remains “firm”, despite the protests. She called for talks, but also said that acts of violence committed during the protests will be punished.
Much of the unrest has been concentrated in the south where Castillo had much of his support, and which is also the heartland of the nation’s mining industry, as well as its tourism sector.
Growing Rage
The demonstrators have grown increasingly enraged as the bloodshed increases. Peru’s Public Ombudsman’s Office has confirmed more than 50 deaths related to the unrest.
Police deployed about 11,800 officers in the capital to try to maintain order. Authorities in Arequipa and Cusco closed airports again in response to the unrest.
Read more: Peru Extends Steepest-Ever Interest Rate Rises Amid Turmoil
Protesters are calling for Boluarte and her government to quit, and for fresh elections. Some also want to rewrite Peru’s market-friendly constitution and for Castillo to be released from detention, where he has been kept amid a criminal investigation due to his attempt to shut congress.
Boluarte’s caretaker administration has faced widespread calls to quit from the day it took office, since it has low approval ratings, took office without a clear mandate from voters and was sworn in by a deeply unpopular congress.
“If police repress the demonstration harshly there’s a risk that people could become much more radical, which would add to the pressure on Boluarte to resign,” Peruvian political analyst Andrea Moncada said in a phone interview.
What Bloomberg Economics Says
“Political instability is showing no signs of abating in Peru, and the economic cost is rising. Our analysis puts the total to date at around 2% of GDP. A large march in Lima planned for Thursday risks significantly escalating the problem.”
— Felipe Hernandez, Latin America economist
The protests are also likely to continue to undermine the country’s economic performance. The disruption caused by the protests will cause “significant headwinds” to economic activity, Goldman Sachs economists wrote in a note Tuesday.
UPDATE 2-Thousands march on Peru's capital as unrest spreads, building set ablaze
Thu, January 19, 2023
By Marco Aquino
LIMA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters in Peru, many from the country's heavily indigenous south, descended on Lima, the capital, on Thursday, angered by a mounting death toll since unrest erupted last month and calling for sweeping change.
Police estimated the march at around 3,500 people, but others speculated it attracted more than double that.
Rows of police in riot gear faced off against rock-hurling protesters on some streets, and one historic building in the city's historic center caught fire late on Thursday.
The building, on San Martin Plaza, was empty when the massive blaze ignited from unknown causes, a firefighter commander told local radio.
Canada-based miner Hudbay said in a statement that protesters had entered the site of its Peru unit, damaging and burning key machinery and vehicles.
"This has not been a protest; this has been a sabotage of the rule of law," Prime Minister Alberto Otarola said Thursday evening alongside President Dina Boluarte and other government ministers.
Interior Minister Vicente Romero disputed claims circulating on social media that the Lima blaze had been caused by a police officer's tear gas grenade.
Over the past month, raucous and sometimes deadly protests have led to the worst violence Peru has seen in more than two decades, as many in poorer, rural regions vent anger at the Lima establishment over inequality and rising prices, testing the copper-rich Andean nation's democratic institutions.
Protesters are demanding the resignation of Boluarte, snap elections and a new constitution to replace the market-friendly one dating back to the days of right-wing strongman Alberto Fujimori in the 1990s.
"We want the usurper Dina Boluarte to step down and call for new elections," said protester Jose De la Rosa, predicting the street protests would only continue.
The protests have been sparked by the dramatic Dec. 7 ouster of leftist former President Pedro Castillo after he tried to illegally shutter Congress and consolidate power.
In buses and on foot, thousands journeyed to Lima on Thursday, carrying flags and banners blasting the government and police for deadly clashes in the southern cities of Ayacucho and Juliaca.
The unrest spread far beyond the capital.
In southern Arequipa, police fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters who tried to take over the airport, local television showed, leading officials to announce the suspension of operations at the Arequipa and Cusco airports.
Boluarte said on Thursday evening that the airports, as well as one in the southern city of Juliaca, had been attacked "in a concerted manner."
"All the rigor of the law will fall on those people who have acted with vandalism," Boluarte said.
The mounting death toll stands at 45, according to the government ombudsman, with the latest victim on Thursday coming from southern Puno region, a woman who succumbed to injuries from a day earlier. Another nine deaths are attributed to accidents related to protest blockades.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Across the nation, road blockades were seen in 18 of the country's 25 regions, according to transport officials, underscoring the reach of the protests.
Police had increased surveillance of roads entering Lima and political leaders called for calm.
Last week, the embattled Boluarte government extended a state of emergency in Lima and the southern regions of Puno and Cusco, curtailing some civil rights.
Boluarte said the situation in the country was "under control." She called for dialogue.
The president has asked for "forgiveness" for the protest deaths, even as protester banners label her a "murderer" and call the killings by security forces "massacres." She has dismissed calls to resign.
Human rights groups have accused the police and army of using deadly firearms in the protests. The police say the protesters have used weapons and homemade explosives.
"We won't forget the pain the police have caused in the town of Juliaca," said one protester traveling to Lima, who did not give her name. She referred to the city where an especially deadly protest took place this month. "We women, men, children have to fight."
Other protesters pointed to strategic reasons for targeting the coastal capital.
"We want to centralize our movement here in Lima, which is the heart of Peru, to see if they are moved," said protester Domingo Cueva, who had traveled from Cusco.
"We have observed an increase in repressions everywhere," he added. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Additional reporting by Anthony Marina and Alfredo Galarza; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Leslie Adler and Bradley Perrett)
Thu, January 19, 2023
By Marco Aquino
LIMA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters in Peru, many from the country's heavily indigenous south, descended on Lima, the capital, on Thursday, angered by a mounting death toll since unrest erupted last month and calling for sweeping change.
Police estimated the march at around 3,500 people, but others speculated it attracted more than double that.
Rows of police in riot gear faced off against rock-hurling protesters on some streets, and one historic building in the city's historic center caught fire late on Thursday.
The building, on San Martin Plaza, was empty when the massive blaze ignited from unknown causes, a firefighter commander told local radio.
Canada-based miner Hudbay said in a statement that protesters had entered the site of its Peru unit, damaging and burning key machinery and vehicles.
"This has not been a protest; this has been a sabotage of the rule of law," Prime Minister Alberto Otarola said Thursday evening alongside President Dina Boluarte and other government ministers.
Interior Minister Vicente Romero disputed claims circulating on social media that the Lima blaze had been caused by a police officer's tear gas grenade.
Over the past month, raucous and sometimes deadly protests have led to the worst violence Peru has seen in more than two decades, as many in poorer, rural regions vent anger at the Lima establishment over inequality and rising prices, testing the copper-rich Andean nation's democratic institutions.
Protesters are demanding the resignation of Boluarte, snap elections and a new constitution to replace the market-friendly one dating back to the days of right-wing strongman Alberto Fujimori in the 1990s.
"We want the usurper Dina Boluarte to step down and call for new elections," said protester Jose De la Rosa, predicting the street protests would only continue.
The protests have been sparked by the dramatic Dec. 7 ouster of leftist former President Pedro Castillo after he tried to illegally shutter Congress and consolidate power.
In buses and on foot, thousands journeyed to Lima on Thursday, carrying flags and banners blasting the government and police for deadly clashes in the southern cities of Ayacucho and Juliaca.
The unrest spread far beyond the capital.
In southern Arequipa, police fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters who tried to take over the airport, local television showed, leading officials to announce the suspension of operations at the Arequipa and Cusco airports.
Boluarte said on Thursday evening that the airports, as well as one in the southern city of Juliaca, had been attacked "in a concerted manner."
"All the rigor of the law will fall on those people who have acted with vandalism," Boluarte said.
The mounting death toll stands at 45, according to the government ombudsman, with the latest victim on Thursday coming from southern Puno region, a woman who succumbed to injuries from a day earlier. Another nine deaths are attributed to accidents related to protest blockades.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Across the nation, road blockades were seen in 18 of the country's 25 regions, according to transport officials, underscoring the reach of the protests.
Police had increased surveillance of roads entering Lima and political leaders called for calm.
Last week, the embattled Boluarte government extended a state of emergency in Lima and the southern regions of Puno and Cusco, curtailing some civil rights.
Boluarte said the situation in the country was "under control." She called for dialogue.
The president has asked for "forgiveness" for the protest deaths, even as protester banners label her a "murderer" and call the killings by security forces "massacres." She has dismissed calls to resign.
Human rights groups have accused the police and army of using deadly firearms in the protests. The police say the protesters have used weapons and homemade explosives.
"We won't forget the pain the police have caused in the town of Juliaca," said one protester traveling to Lima, who did not give her name. She referred to the city where an especially deadly protest took place this month. "We women, men, children have to fight."
Other protesters pointed to strategic reasons for targeting the coastal capital.
"We want to centralize our movement here in Lima, which is the heart of Peru, to see if they are moved," said protester Domingo Cueva, who had traveled from Cusco.
"We have observed an increase in repressions everywhere," he added. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Additional reporting by Anthony Marina and Alfredo Galarza; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Leslie Adler and Bradley Perrett)
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