Peru Reports Seven Blocked Highways as Anti-Government Protests Restart

Marcelo Rochabrun
Wed, July 19, 2023 



(Bloomberg) -- Thousands of Peruvians took to the streets nationwide to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, as her approval ratings dip to record lows and the economy reels.

More than 30 different protests across the Andean nation were reported by Peru’s ombusdman’s office Wednesday. Protesters also gathered in the center of the capital city, Lima, where the presidential palace and congress are located.

“This is an expected situation,” Prime Minister Alberto Otarola told reporters in the afternoon. Some road blockades were reported, but commerce was largely unaffected. It is unclear if the protests will continue Thursday and beyond. Earlier this year, protests that also sought Boluarte’s resignation extended for months and and helped guide the economy toward a recession.

The new protests come as Boluarte is more unpopular than ever seven months into her tenure. A poll by Ipsos this month showed the president’s popularity remains at a record-low 14%. That figure rises to 32% among the wealthiest and falls to 9% among the poorest.

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Despite her low approval, she has found support in an equally unpopular Congress and among business leaders.

The president is also facing an unusually weak economy that appears headed into a mild recession due to the lingering effects of earlier protests and now the looming El Nino weather pattern.

Boluarte came to power unexpectedly in December when her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was impeached and arrested for trying to illegally dissolve congress. Boluarte, then vice president, took over, triggering protests seeking new general elections.

While she held onto power, the economy stalled and clashes between security forces and protesters left almost 50 civilians dead, some of which human rights organizations have called extra-judicial executions. Boluarte has said she will stay in power until 2026, which if successful would make her the longest-serving Peruvian president in seven years.