DEJA VU

Peru's president asks Congress to bring vote forward amid deadly protests

Story by NEWS WIRES • 5h ago

Embattled Peru President Dina Boluarte on Friday urged Congress to advance elections slated for April 2024 to December 2023 as protests against her leadership that have left dozens dead continue.


Peru's president asks Congress to bring vote forward amid deadly protests© Angela Ponce, Reuters

Peru has been embroiled in a political crisis with near-daily protests since December 7 when former president Pedro Castillo was arrested after attempting to dissolve parliament and rule by decree.

His supporters are demanding that Boluarte resign and call fresh elections.

Boluarte said she had asked her Cabinet to support the bill before it is taken up by Congress.

"We put this bill to advance elections to December 2023 to the ministers for consideration," said Boluarte during a ceremony at a military airport in Lima.

Related video: Peru's bitter divide: How far will anti-Boluarte protests go?
(France 24) Duration 43:59 View on Watch

Congress previously voted on December 21 in favor of a Boluarte bill to bring forward elections from 2026 to 2024.

"Congress voted once and we are waiting for them to vote again. However, the protests continue. There are more roadblocks and violence," added Boluarte, describing the current political crisis as a "quagmire."

But protesters are demanding immediate elections, as well as Boluarte's removal, the dissolution of parliament and a new constitution.

In seven weeks of protests since Castillo's arrest, at least 46 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters.

Some of the worst violence and highest death tolls have come when protesters tried to storm airports in the country's south.

Those southern regions with large indigenous populations have been the epicenter of the protest movement that has affected Peru's vital tourism industry.

As well as blocking dozens of roads and forcing the temporary closure of several airports, protesters have placed rocks on the train tracks that act as the only transport access to Machu Picchu, the former Inca citadel and jewel of Peruvian tourism.

That resulted in hundreds of tourists being left stranded at the archeological ruins and many of them were evacuated by helicopter.

(AFP)



Peru’s president urges Congress to bring forward general elections amid protests
This article is more than 1 month old

Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency after Pedro Castillo tried to illegally dissolve Congress and was arrested

Dina Boluarte’s government has announced a state of emergency and granted police special powers.

 Photograph: Lucas Aguayo/AFP/Getty Images

Reuters in Lima
Sat 17 Dec 2022

The Peruvian president, Dina Boluarte, who has said she is leading a transitional government, urged the country’s Congress to pass a proposal to bring forward general elections in a news conference from the presidential palace on Saturday.

Boluarte, formerly Peru’s vice-president, assumed the presidency earlier this month after ex-president Pedro Castillo tried to illegally dissolve Congress and was arrested.

Since then, protests have broken out across the country, and at least 17 people have been killed. Another five have died as an indirect consequence of the protests, according to authorities.

Boluarte also countered protesters asking for her to step down, saying “that does not solve the problem” and that she had done her part by sending the bill to Congress.

On Friday, Peru’s Congress rejected the proposed constitutional reform to move elections forward to December 2023. Some members of Congress have called for the legislature to reconsider the proposal.

“I demand that the vote to bring elections up be reconsidered,” Boluarte said, criticising Congress members who had previously abstained from voting.


What is happening in Peru and why are people so angry?

Protests since the arrest of the former president Castillo, who is in pre-trial detention while facing charges of rebellion and conspiracy, have crippled Peru’s transport system, shuttering airports and blocking highways.

On Wednesday, Boluarte’s government announced a state of emergency, granting police special powers and limiting citizens’ rights, including the right to assembly.

Protesters have also blockaded Peru’s borders, leaving tourists stranded and strangling trade.

“We want the immediate closure of Congress; we want the resignation of Dina Boluarte,” said Rene Mendoza, a protester at the border with Bolivia. “Today, the Peruvian people are in mourning … The whole of Peru is in a struggle.”

Boluarte Calls for Peru 'Truce' as Protesters Mass Again in Lima

January 24, 2023 
Agence France-Presse

Riot police fire tear gas at demonstrators during a protest against the government of Dina Boluarte asking for her resignation and the closure of Congress, in Lima on Jan. 24, 2023.

LIMA, PERU —

Peru's President Dina Boluarte called Tuesday for a "national truce" to end weeks of nationwide unrest as protesters again clashed with police in the capital to press for her resignation and fresh elections.

Thousands of Peruvians from Andean regions, many in traditional dress, marched in central Lima chanting "Dina assassin," blaming her for the deaths of 46 people, mainly demonstrators, since protests broke out last month.

Violent clashes erupted in central Lima Tuesday evening as protesters threw stones and police responded with tear gas, according to an AFP journalist on the scene.

Demonstrators swing makeshift slingshots during clashes with riot police within a protest against the government of Dina Boluarte asking for her resignation and the closure of Congress, in Lima on Jan. 24, 2023.

Many Peruvians remain angry at the December 7 ouster of then-president Pedro Castillo, who was arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.

Boluarte, the vice president under Castillo, immediately assumed power.

SEE ALSO:
Families of Detained Protesters in Peru Clamor for News

Protests quickly broke out, largely fueled by anger in poor rural regions in the south where inhabitants – mainly Indigenous – felt that Castillo, who has Indigenous roots himself, represented their interests rather than those of the Lima elite.

Demonstrators have kept up weeks of protests and roadblocks and are also demanding the dissolution of Congress and the rewriting of the constitution.

"I call on my dear country to a national truce to allow for the establishment of dialogue, to fix the agenda for each region and develop our towns," Boluarte said in a news conference with foreign media. "I will not tire from calling for dialogue, peace and unity."

SEE ALSO:
Peru Closes Machu Picchu Amid Deadly Protests in Lima

A visibly emotional Boluarte apologized several times for those killed in the protests but ruled out resigning.

"I will go once we have called a general election ... I have no intention of remaining in power."

Under Peru's current constitution, the president cannot run for immediate reelection.

'We don't believe her'

Boluarte said she was sure Congress would agree in February to advance elections, currently scheduled for April 2024.

Asked about her possible resignation, Boluarte scoffed at the idea that it would "solve the crisis and the violence."

"We don't believe her words anymore," said protester Rosa Soncco, a 37-year-old hailing from the mountain town of Acomayo, in the southern Cusco region.

"We will stay here until the end, until she leaves," she said.

Aerial view of demonstrators holding a protest against the government of Peru's President Dina Boluarte asking for her resignation and the closure of Congress, at a centric plaza in Lima on Jan. 24, 2023.

On Tuesday, police fired tear gas to repel demonstrators heading in the direction of Congress, AFP journalists saw. At least one person was bleeding from their head and an injured woman was heard screaming near an ambulance.

One protester carried a big doll with a bloody knife in its hand and a picture of Boluarte attached.

Boluarte is due to have a video meeting with the Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Peru.

Her government has come under fire from rights groups over alleged repression of protests and the disproportionate use of force by security forces.

Castillo 'no victim'

Boluarte has called a state of emergency in Peru, allowing the army to assist police in maintaining order.

Riot police takes position during a protest against the government of Dina Boluarte asking for her resignation and the closure of Congress, in Lima on Jan. 24, 2023.

"I will appear before the OAS to tell the truth. The Peruvian government and especially Dina Boluarte have nothing to hide," she said.

Boluarte claims some of the protesters were killed by ammunition that is not used by the police.

The president said the deaths "hurt me, as a woman, a mother and a daughter."

She also hit out at her predecessor Castillo, saying he sparked unrest by trying to broaden his powers in a bid to avoid an impeachment vote and stave off corruption investigations.

"It suited him to stage a coup d'etat so he could play the victim and mobilize all this paramilitary apparatus so as not to answer before the public prosecutor for the acts of corruption that he is accused of," said Boluarte.

"There is no victim here, Mr. Castillo. There is a bleeding country because of your irresponsibility."

Boluarte is from the same left-wing party as Castillo and was his running mate during his successful 2021 election campaign. She served as his vice president before replacing him.

UPDATED

Peru's former President Castillo denies charges as protest death toll rises

Story by Claudia Rebaza • CNN 

Peru’s former President Pedro Castillo has denied allegations of conspiracy and rebellion, following his dramatic ouster and arrest last week. His appearance in court on Tuesday came amid ongoing protests by Castillo’s supporters that have seen at least six killed.

Castillo was impeached and arrested on Dec. 7, after he announced plans to dissolve Congress and install an emergency government ahead of a looming impeachment vote by lawmakers.

Dina Boluarte, his former vice president, has since become president. On Monday, Boluarte proposed bringing general elections forward two years to April 2024 during a televised speech.

Castillo appeared in a virtual court hearing on Tuesday to appeal his seven-day detention order, an appeal which was ultimately rejected by Judge Cesar San Martin.

During the hearing Castillo told San Martin, “I have never committed the crime of conspiracy or rebellion” and described his detention as arbitrary and unjust.

Dressed in a blue jacket and sitting next to his lawyer Ronald Atencio, Castillo also said, “I will never resign and abandon this popular cause.”

“From here I want to urge the Armed Forces and the National Police to lay down their arms and stop killing these people thirsty for justice. Tomorrow at 1:42 p.m. I want my people to join me…” he also said, before being interrupted by the judge.

Since last week, demonstrations have erupted in cities across the country in support of Castillo, sometimes marked by clashes with Peru’s security forces,

At least six people have died in the demonstrations, including two minors, Peru’s ombudsman’s press office said on Tuesday. And at least 47 individuals were hospitalized as a result of protests in the cities of Lima, Apurímac, Huancavelica and Arequipa, Peru’s Health Ministry tweeted.



Peru's former President Castillo denies charges as protest death toll rises© Provided by CNNProtests in Arequipa, southern Peru, on Monday. - Denis Mayhua/picture alliance/Getty Images

Demonstrators have called for a general election, the dissolution of Congress, and the creation of a new constituent assembly, according to the radio and television broadcaster Radio Programas del Perú.

Boluarte on Tuesday called for calm to be restored to the country, and said that she had instructed police not to use any lethal arms against protesters.

“Everyone has the right to protest but not to commit vandalism, burn hospitals, ambulances, police stations, assault airports, (these) are not normal protests, we have reached the extreme,” Boluarte added.

Travel disrupted

Trains to and from Machu Picchu will be suspended from Tuesday due to Peru’s protests, railway operator PeruRail said in a statement.

“We regret the inconvenience that these announcements generate for our passengers; however, they are due to situations beyond the control of our company and seek to prioritize the safety of passengers and workers,” the statement read.



At least seven dead as Peru protests disrupt flights and train travel© Provided by CNNDemonstrators clash with police in the Peruvian capital Lima on Monday. - Aldair Mejía/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Flights have also been disrupted due to protests, with LATAM Airlines Peru announcing the temporary suspension of services to and from airports in the cities of Arequipa and Cuzco.

Protesters attempted to storm the terminal at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cuzco on Monday, according to the Peruvian Corporation of Airports and Commercial Aviation (CORPAC).

So far there have been no reports of injuries, arrests or damage to the airport, according to CORPAC.


At least seven dead as Peru protests disrupt flights and train travel© Provided by CNNProtestors at the Alfredo Rodriguez Ballon international airport in Arequipa on Monday. - Diego Ramos/AFP/Getty Images

LATAM called on Peruvian authorities to take “corrective measures to ensure safety” for the operation of its flights.

“We regret the inconvenience that this situation beyond our control has caused our passengers,” it added.

Peru’s National Police said that, as of Monday evening, there were blockades on national roads in at least 11 regions of the country.

In addition, the government has declared a state of emergency in seven provinces in the Apurimac region in south-central Peru.

A country on the brink

Peru has been racked with political instability in recent years, with many Peruvians calling for political change, according to a September poll by the Institute of Peruvian Studies, which found 60% of those surveyed supported early elections to refresh both the presidency and Congress.

It is unclear if Boluarte’s ascendancy to the presidency can gain widespread political buy-in.

Boluarte “does not have a recognized political career,” said Fernando Tuesta Soldevilla, professor of political science at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. “And without partisan support, political party or social organization behind her, she is weak from the beginning.”

“Everyone knows when Dina Boluarte’s government began, but no one can be sure how long it will last,” he told CNN.

CNN’s Andy Ortiz, Hira Humayun, Sahar Akbarzai and Gerardo Lemos contributed to this report.

Peru explodes into fiery protest as anger over political crises ignites

Story by By Marco Aquino and Adam Jourdan 

Protest demanding the dissolution of Congress and to hold democratic elections, in Lima© Thomson Reuters

LIMA (Reuters) - As Peru careers from one political crisis to another, the country has exploded in protest, with at least seven dead in the last week and the smoke of fires and tear gas hanging over city streets. A way out seems distant.


Protest demanding the dissolution of Congress and to hold democratic elections, in Lima© Thomson Reuters

The spark of the current unrest was the ouster and arrest of leftist leader Pedro Castillo after he tried to dissolve Congress illegally. It followed a months-long standoff where lawmakers impeached him three times, the final time removing him from office.

Peru has been one of the economic stars of Latin America in the 21st century, with strong growth lifting millions out of poverty. But the political turmoil is increasingly threatening to derail its economic stability, with ratings agencies warning of downgrades, blockades impacting major mines in the world's no. 2 copper producer, and protesters demanding Congress and new president Dina Boluarte step down.



Protest demanding the dissolution of Congress and to hold democratic elections, in Lima© Thomson Reuters

For those watching closely it should be little surprise. Voters are fed up with the constant political infighting that has seen six presidents in the last five years and seven impeachment attempts.

The heavily fragmented unicameral Congress is loathed - with an approval rating of just 11%, according to pollster Datum. That is below Castillo's, which despite a string of corruption allegations was 24% just before he was removed.

"The Peruvian people are just exhausted from all the political machinations, the crime, uncertainty and stalling growth," said Eric Farnsworth, a vice president at the Council of the Americas and Americas Society.

He said Boluarte's pledge to hold early elections in April 2024 could help calm things in the short run, but that would not solve entrenched issues of a divided electorate and infighting between the presidency and Congress.

"It's a toxic soup, with a weak president, a dysfunctional Congress, the deposed president seeking to generate a popular resistance to his legitimate removal, an agitated populace, and little vision from anyone on how to get out of this mess.

Peru's constitution makes it relatively easy for an unhappy legislature to initiate an impeachment, while a lack of dominant political parties - the largest, Popular Force, controls just 24 of 130 seats - means agreement is thin on the ground. Corruption has also been a frequent problem.



Protests despite a government proposal to bring forward elections, in Lima© Thomson Reuters

The only way many Peruvians feel they can make their voices heard is in the street. In recent days, protesters have blocked roads, set fires, and even taken over airports. Police have come under criticism from human rights groups for use of firearms and teargas. At leave seven people, mostly teenagers, have died.



Demonstrations demanding dissolution of Peru's Congress and democratic elections, in Cuzco© Thomson Reuters

There are echoes of protests in 2020, when thousands took to the streets after the impeachment and ouster of popular centrist leader Martin Vizcarra, who was succeeded by Congress leader Manuel Merino. After two died he also was forced to resign.

Castillo, less popular but with a support base in rural regions that helped him to a narrow election win last year, has looked to stoke things from jail, where he is being held while he is investigated over accusations of rebellion and conspiracy.

On Monday, he called Boluarte, his former vice president, a "usurper" in a written letter to the Peruvian people where he claimed to still be the country's legitimate leader.

"What was said recently by a usurper is nothing more than the same snot and drool of the coup-mongering right," he wrote, adding a call - long popular among a younger generation of Peruvians - for a new constitution.

"The people should not fall for their dirty games of new elections. Enough abuse! A Constituent Assembly now! Immediate freedom!" he wrote.

Boluarte, a former member of Castillo's far-left party who fell out with its leader and criticized Castillo after his attempt to dissolve Congress, has called for calm around the country and pledged a government of all stripes. But she faces a tough reality, caught between protesters and a hostile parliament.

With the recent history of Peruvian leaders littered with impeachment and jail, it is questionable whether Boluarte can hang on until new elections are held.

"Dina Boluarte is a murderer. Five people have died, and they say nothing. Nothing matters to her, she is shameless, treacherous," said Guadalupe Huaman, a Castillo supporter protesting with a Peruvian flag and hard hat in Lima.

Cutting Peru's outlook to negative and threatening a potential downgrade, ratings agency S&P said in a report on Monday that there seemed to be little to be hopeful about.

"The way Peru's most recent change in power occurred reflects heightened political deadlock, and it increases risks ahead," it said.

Farnsworth voiced similar concerns. While Peru had a history of volatile politics, it was unclear how things would resolve this time, he said.

"I think this time is somehow different," he said. "There is no real path forward it seems."

(Reporting by Marco Aquino and Adam Jourdan, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

 LIVE: Peruvian protesters demand election after former president’s impeachment

2 Killed, 4 Injured In Peru As Protests Demanding Elections Turn Violent

Violence erupts in deadly protests in Peru

Protests grow in support of Peru's ousted president Pedro Castillo

Peru armed forces to take control of infrastructure as protests rage on

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's armed forces will take control of the "protection" of key infrastructure like airports and hydroelectric plants as protests continue across the country, the country's defense minister said Tuesday.


Protests despite a government proposal to bring forward elections, in Lima© Thomson Reuters

The government will also declare the country's highway system under a state of emergency in order to guarantee free transit, Defense Minister Alberto Otarola said.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Sarah Morland)

Peruvian police justify violence at pro-Castillo protests as raising «risk of death

The general of the Peruvian National Police, Víctor Zanabria, justified on Tuesday that the acts of violence directed against agents "increase the risks and possibly death", after seven deaths were confirmed in clashes with security forces in the protests in support of former president Pedro Castillo.


Demonstrators march in Lima demanding the release of former president Pedro Castillo and the closure of the Peruvian Congress. - Gian Masko/dpa

"Acts of violence against police personnel increase the risk and possibly death. We have the ownership of the use of force", said Zanabria, who said that they will increase the level of response and will begin to use rubber bullets "given the level of violence".

However, General Zanabria's announcement contrasts with the statements of the President, Dina Boluarte, who assured this same Tuesday that she has given orders to the police not to use any lethal weapon, not even rubber bullets", reports the Peruvian newspaper 'La Republica'.
Related video: Violent protest erupts in Peru demanding re-election (WION)
Duration 0:54
View on Watch



Peruvian protests against new President Boluarte enter fourth day


Zanabria has detailed that more than 5,000 members of the National Police have been permanently deployed in different points of the historic center of Lima to contain the protests that for days have been registered in the capital in support of Castillo, imprisoned and accused a few days ago of a crime of rebellion.

For now, the new government of Boluarte has ruled out the presence of the Army in the streets of the country. "There will be no militarization and repression of the Armed Forces", said the Minister of Defense, Alberto Otárola.

Castillo has been in prison since last Wednesday, December 7, awaiting a judicial decision to confirm or not his release while he is being investigated for an alleged crime of rebellion after unsuccessfully announcing his intention to dissolve Congress and call legislative elections to initiate a new constituent process to change the Magna Carta inherited from Fujimori's regime.

The arrest took place when he was about to go to the Mexican Embassy to request asylum. In the meantime, Congress approved his dismissal through a motion of censure, the third he has faced since he took office a little more than a year and a half ago.

Since then, there has been a succession of protests in support of him and in favor of shutting down a Congress that from day one has been maneuvering to get him out of office. The current toll is seven dead and fifty injured between police and demonstrators. The new government of Dina Boluarte has called for dialogue and has convened a crisis cabinet to deal with the situation.

Peru: Seven dead and 119 police officers injured in demonstrations against the Peruvian government

Peruvian authorities have confirmed the death of at least seven people as a result of clashes between the country's police and demonstrators in ongoing protests in southern Peru demanding the release of former president Pedro Castillo and the calling of presidential elections.


Archive - Protests in Lima (FILE) - MARIANA BAZO / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO© Provided by News 360

Of the total number of deaths, six have taken place in the Department of Apurimac, while another has occurred in Arequipa, as reported by the regional health directorates of both regions in statements reported by the radio station RPP.

Among the dead are two minors, aged 15 and 16, who reportedly lost their lives in demonstrations in the towns of Andahuaylas and Chincheros, both in Apurimac.

Likewise, the Regional Government of Apurimac has detailed that 28 people have been reported injured on Monday.

For its part, the Regional Health Management of Arequipa has reported that 26 people have been injured during the protests, of which 16 are men and eight are women.

In addition to the civilians, up to 119 police officers have been injured throughout the country, among whom one remains seriously injured and six have been held hostage for several hours, a police official told RPP.

Likewise, 15 police officers have been injured after being attacked with pyrotechnic devices and explosives during a confrontation in Andahuaylas, in Apurimac, the Peruvian National Police said in a statement.

Thousands of people are protesting in the south of the country against the dismissal of Pedro Castillo, asking the new government to call for presidential elections.

The clashes between police and demonstrators have led the president of the Andean country, Dina Boluarte, to declare a state of emergency in three regions of the country: Ica, Arequipa and Apurimac.

"I announce the declaration of a state of emergency in areas of high social conflict. I have given instructions to peacefully recover the control of internal order, without affecting the fundamental rights of the citizens," said the newly appointed Peruvian president in a televised speech on Sunday night.

60 DAY STATE OF EMERGENCY 

A day after Boluarte announced the declaration of a state of emergency in the south of the country due to the turbulent protests, the Executive has detailed that the measure will last for 60 days.

This state of emergency will be maintained for a little more than two months in the departments of Ica, Arequipa and Apurimac, as reported by Andina news agency.

In this context, the Peruvian National Police will be able to maintain "the control of internal order", all this with the support of the Armed Forces, according to a decree published this Monday afternoon by the Executive.

Peru protests: What to know about Indigenous-led movement shaking the crisis-hit country

Eduardo Gamarra, Professor of Politics and International Relations, 

Florida International University
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.

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.

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.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for PERU PROTESTS 

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)

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)

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)

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.

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)

Thousands converge in Peru's capital for 'Take over Lima' march

• 3 HOURS AGO

Peruvians pour into Lima, many from remote Andean regions, to protest against President Dina Boluarte and in support of her predecessor, whose ouster last month sparked deadly unrest and political chaos.

Police have deployed 11,800 officers in Lima ahead of protests. ( Reuters )

Thousands of Peruvians, many from the country's southern mining regions, have descended on the capital Lima for a major planned march against the government and Congress, fired up by over 50 deaths linked to protests since last month.

"We want Dina Boluarte to resign," said Julio Saldivar on Thursday, a protester from Ayacucho, where a dozen peopled died in December.

Police said they were on "maximum alert" and have deployed 11,800 officers in Lima ahead of expected trouble.

The clashes mark the worst violence Peru has seen in over 20 years as many people in poorer rural regions vent anger at the Lima political elite over inequality and rising prices, testing the copper-rich Andean nation's democratic institutions.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of President Boluarte, fast new elections, a clear out of Congress and a new Constitution to replace a market-friendly one dating back to strongman leader Alberto Fujimori in the 1990s.

In buses and on foot, thousands have journeyed to the capital, carrying flags and banners criticising the government and police for deadly clashes in the southern cities of Ayacucho and Juliaca, many demanding Boluarte step down.

Protesters are planning a "Take over Lima" protest on Thursday, with thousands of police expected in response. On Wednesday night scuffles began with protesters throwing rocks and police using tear gas to disperse crowds.

"We want to centralise our movement here in Lima, which is the heart of Peru, to see if they are moved," said Domingo Cueva, a protester at the state University of San Marcos.

'We won't forget the pain'

The protests, sparked by the dramatic December 7 ouster of leftist former president Pedro Castillo after he tried to illegally shutter Congress and consolidate power, have seen 43 people killed in clashes, including one police officer.

Nine more have died in related accidents.

The protest deaths have been the lightning rod for much of the anger, with banners calling Boluarte a "murderer" and calling the killings by police and military "massacres".

"We won't forget the pain the police have caused in the town of Juliaca. We women, men, children have to fight," said one protester travelling to Lima who didn't give her name.

Protester Cueva, who had come from Cusco, said many had tried to come to Lima for the Thursday protest and strike, though not all had made it.

"We have observed an increase in repressions everywhere. Some leaders have been stopped on the way, they were not allowed to pass," he said.

Police have increased surveillance of roads entering Lima and political leaders have called for calm.

The government last week extended a state of emergency in Lima and the southern regions of Puno and Cusco, curtailing some civil rights.

"We do not want more deaths, we do not want more injuries, enough blood, enough mourning for the families of Peru," Interior Minister Vicente Romero told reporters.

Boluarte has asked for "forgiveness" for the protest deaths but remained firm that she is not going to resign.

Human rights groups have accused the police and army of using deadly firearms in the protests.

Boluarte, who was Castillo's vice president, succeeded him.

But despite Boluarte belonging to the same left-wing party, Castillo supporters have rejected her, even accusing her of being a "traitor."

REASD MORE: Peru peasants arrive in Lima for major anti-Boluarte protest

Protesters stream to Peru capital demanding president resign

By DANIEL POLITI and FRANKLIN BRICEÑO (Associated Press)
LIMA, Peru Jan. 19, 2023 3:56 p.m.

People are pouring into Peru’s capital, many from remote Andean regions, for a protest against President Dina Boluarte and in support of her predecessor, whose ouster last month launched weeks of deadly unrest and cast the nation into political chaos

Thousands of people poured into Peru’s capital, many from remote Andean regions, for a protest Thursday against President Dina Boluarte and in support of her predecessor, whose ouster last month launched deadly unrest and cast the nation into political chaos.
An anti-government protesters who traveled to the capital from across the country to march against Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, is detained and thrown on the back of police vehicle during clashes in Lima, Peru, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Protesters are seeking immediate elections, Boluarte's resignation, the release of ousted President Pedro Castillo and justice for up to 48 protesters killed in clashes with police.
Martin Mejia / AP

Police repeatedly fired tear gas into crowds of demonstrators as night fell Thursday, preventing them from heading into business and residential districts of Lima. The supporters of former President Pedro Castillo were demanding Boluarte's resignation, the dissolution of Congress, and immediate elections. Castillo, Peru’s first leader from a rural Andean background, was impeached after a failed attempt to dissolve Congress.

“We have delinquent ministers, presidents that murder and we live like animals in the middle of so much wealth that they steal from us every day,” said Samuel Acero, a farmer who heads the regional protest committee for the Andean city of Cusco. “We want Dina Boluarte to leave, she lied to us.”

Anger at Boluarte was the common thread as street sellers hawked T-shirts saying, “Out, Dina Boluarte,” “Dina murderer, Peru repudiates you” and a call for “New elections, let them all leave.”

“Our God says thou shalt not kill your neighbor. Dina Boluarte is killing, she's making brothers fight,” Paulina Consac said as she carried a large Bible while marching in downtown Lima with more than 2,000 protesters from Cusco.

By early afternoon, protesters had turned key roads into large pedestrian areas in downtown Lima.

The protests have so far been held mainly in Peru's southern Andes, with 54 people dying amid the unrest, the large majority killed in clashes with security forces.

“We’re at a breaking point between dictatorship and democracy,” said Pedro Mamani, a student at the National University of San Marcos. Students there are housing demonstrators who traveled for the protest that is being popularly referred to as the "takeover of Lima."

The university was surrounded by police officers, who also deployed at key points of Lima's historic downtown district.

Some 11,800 police officers were being sent out, Victor Zanabria, the head of the Lima police force told local media. He played down the size of the protests, saying he expected around 2,000 people to participate.

There were protests elsewhere and video posted on social media showed a group of demonstrators trying to storm the airport in southern Arequipa, Peru's second city. They were blocked by police but the airport paused operations.

The demonstrations that erupted last month and subsequent clashes with security forces were the worst political violence in more than two decades and has highlighted the deep divisions between the urban elite largely concentrated in Lima and poor rural areas.

By bringing the protest to Lima, demonstrators hope to give fresh weight to the movement that began when Boluarte was sworn into office on Dec. 7 to replace Castillo.

“When there are tragedies, bloodbaths outside the capital it doesn’t have the same political relevance in the public agenda than if it took place in the capital,” said Alonso Cárdenas, a professor of public policies at the Antonio Ruiz de Montoya University in Lima.

“The leaders have understood that and say, they can massacre us in Cusco, in Puno, and nothing happens, we need to take the protest to Lima,” Cárdenas added, citing cities that have seen major violence.

The concentration of protesters in Lima also reflects how the capital has started to see more antigovernment demonstrations in recent days.

The protester were planning to march Thursday from downtown Lima to the Miraflores district, an emblematic neighborhood of the economic elite.

The government has called on protesters to be peaceful.

Boluarte has said she supports a plan to push to 2024 elections for president and Congress originally scheduled for 2026.

Many protesters say no dialogue is possible with a government they say has unleashed so much violence against its citizens.

As protesters gathered in Lima, more violence erupted in southern Peru.

In the town of Macusani on Wednesday, protesters set fire to the police station and judicial office after two people were killed and another seriously injured by gunfire amid antigovernment protests. The person who was injured died Thursday morning in hospital, said a health official in the town.

Activists have dubbed Thursday's demonstration in Lima as the Cuatro Suyos March, a reference to the four cardinal points of the Inca empire. It’s also the name given to a massive 2000 mobilization, when thousands of Peruvians took to the streets against the autocratic government of Alberto Fujimori, who resigned months later.

There are several key differences between those demonstrations and this week’s protests.

“In 2000, the people protested against a regime that was already consolidated in power,” Cardenas said. “In this case, they’re standing up to a government that has only been in power for a month and is incredibly fragile.”

The 2000 protests also had a centralized leadership and were led by political parties. “Now what we have is something much more fragmented,” Coronel said.

The latest protests have largely been grassroots efforts without a clear leadership.

“We have never seen a mobilization of this magnitude, there’s already a thought installed in the peripheries that it is necessary, urgent to transform everything,” said Gustavo Montoya, a historian at the National University of San Marcos. “I have the feeling that we’re witnessing a historic shift.”

The protests have grown to such a degree that demonstrators are unlikely to be satisfied with Boluarte’s resignation and are now demanding more fundamental structural reform.

The protests have emerged “in regions that have been systematically treated as second-class citizens,” Montoya said. “I think this will only keep growing.”

———-

Associated Press journalist Mauricio Muñoz contributed.

Lima braces for protests as death toll in Peru crisis surpasses 50

Protestors from across Peru are traveling to Lima and demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte. Photo by EPA-EFE/Paolo Aguilar

Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Protestors from across Peru are traveling to the capital city of Lima to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.

The head of Peru's National Police in Lima, Victor Sanabria, told reporters that nearly 12,000 police officers were deployed in the capital. Key government buildings were reinforced in anticipation of further protests.

Two protestors were killed on Wednesday in the southern region of Puno, as the death toll for six weeks of demonstrations surpasses 50.

Protestors took to the streets of the South American nation in December, demanding the reinstatement of former president Pedro Castillo, who was impeached in December after attempting to dissolve congress in the wake of previous impeachment attempts.

The Constitutional Court of Peru determined that Castillo's attempt to dissolve congress was a coup attempt to interfere with a legitimate impeachment process.

Castillo attempted to flee the country but was detained before he could leave.

On Jan. 9, security forces killed 18 people in Puno region. Amnesty International has accused security forces of using "excessive force against protestors."

Several members of President Boluarte's cabinet have resigned in protest of her handling of the crisis, and Peru's top prosecutor is conducting an inquiry into her role in the crackdown.

While the demonstrations began in support of Castillo, the demands have evolved, with many protestors now calling for the resignation of Boluarte and fresh elections.

Peru is on edge as protesters converge on the capital

By Carrie Kahn
Published January 19, 2023 

Martin Mejia  AP

Anti-government protesters who traveled to the capital from across the country march against Peruvian President Dina Boluarte in Lima on Wednesday.

Updated January 19, 2023 at 4:16 PM ET

LIMA, Peru — Peru's capital is bracing for large demonstrations against the government over coming days. Thousands of rural residents have been streaming into Lima to demand justice for the more than 50 people killed in weeks of protests.

Demonstrators began blocking roads and storming airports around the country after the arrest and impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo last month. The political newcomer was facing a third impeachment attempt and prior to the vote, attempted to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.

His vice president, Dina Boluarte, was sworn in immediately following Castillo's jailing.
What the demonstrators are demanding

Demonstrators want Boluarte to resign and for new elections to be held. She has imposed a state of emergency in the capital Lima and three other regions.

What began as protests demanding the release and restitution of Castillo have morphed into widespread calls for justice for those killed by what activists say is excessive force by police and the military.

Guadalupe Pardo / AP
/
APPresident of Congress José Williams (left) and Sen. Jose Cevasco place the presidential sash on Vice President Dina Boluarte as she is sworn in as the country's new president in Lima on Dec. 7.

Protesters also want to bring attention to long-standing social and economic inequality in the country. The wealth gap between Peru's indigenous south and the urban capital has long been present, but has widened in recent years.

Dina Lopez came to Lima from her highland city of Ayacucho to participate in protests. "No one pays attention to us out there — where are our human rights?" she said. She spoke to NPR as police attempted to remove her and fellow protesters from the doorsteps of a church.

"That woman is deaf to our suffering," Lopez added, referring to President Boluarte.

For her part, Boluarte says she is not leaving. "These necessities will be resolved, only when we get together and converse pacifically," she said while attending the opening session of Peru's Constitutional Court on Tuesday.

She said the historic needs of Peru's poor and indigenous communities can't be addressed through violence.

There are fears of escalating and prolonged violence

The divide between Peru's Lima elite and the rest of the country is nothing new, but these prolonged protests are unusual, Alberto Vergara, a political scientist at Lima's Pacific University, told NPR.

"Now we have 50 dead and we are on a path to have more," he warns. Vergara fears that given Peru's dysfunctional political system more violence is inevitable.

Indeed, Peru has had 10 presidents in more than 20 years of political upheaval, with one leader lasting just six days.

Vergara said Peru's mediocre politicians are the threat here — not tyranny which usually leads to democratic demise. "Peru is perhaps showing us that chaos and disorder can also be the opposite of democracy," he said.

Security services are accused of excessive force

Conservatives, including Congressman Jorge Montoya, warn of possible terrorism links to the ongoing demonstrations and unrest. He claims, without evidence, that the marchers are backed by communists and drug traffickers.

Martin Mejia / AP
/Tear gas is thrown back at police trying to break up supporters of ousted President Pedro Castillo at Plaza San Martin in Lima, on Dec. 11.

"There is no dialogue, no dialogue is necessary. What is necessary is to correct what is wrong," Montoya told NPR. He is calling for a strong hand by security forces to end the demonstrations, and even says it was the protesters who shot at civilians during demonstrators.

Human rights lawyer Juan Miguel Jugo says that is absurd. "There is no proof that happened," he told NPR. He said the deaths were caused by excessive force by the police that shot civilians in the head, chest and limbs.

Protesters say they will continue marching until the president and Congress are gone and new elections are scheduled for this year. One woman, who would only give NPR her first name, Tanya, for fear of government retaliation, said she will not be backing down.

"Our eyes have been opened and we will continue fighting," she said.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.