As calls for new elections and the release of imprisoned former President Pedro Castillo spread throughout the nation, protesters in Peru have increased their demonstrations and created new blockades.
In protest of Castillo’s impeachment and arrest, hundreds blocked an airport runway in Arequipa, the second-largest city in the nation, on Monday using burning tires, wood, and rocks. New roadblocks were also erected in other significant cities.
At least four people have died as a result of the protests, according to authorities, after clashes on Sunday between demonstrators and police in the southern city of Andahuaylas left two people dead and at least five others hurt, including a police officer. The protestors were attempting to storm the airport when the fighting broke out.
According to Alberto Otarola, Minister of Defence, one protester was killed in the state that encompasses Andahuaylas on Monday, while there was a second protester fatality in Arequipa.
Even though President Dina Boluarte, who was swiftly inaugurated in to succeed Castillo after his dismissal last week, promised to arrange early elections, the protests have grown, especially in Peru’s northern and Andean towns.
In an address to the nation early on Monday, Boluarte said, “I have chosen to offer a measure to reach an agreement with Congress to bring forward the general elections to April 2024.” She said that she would introduce the legislation in the “coming days.”
However, it appears that the assurance did little to assuage public ire over Castillo’s ouster as a result of his attempt to dissolve Congress prior to an impeachment vote on Wednesday. Castillo was a former teacher and union leader who was removed from office by lawmakers.
Soon after, the former president was taken into custody and accused of conspiring and rebelling.
Numerous supporters of the imprisoned former president demanded that elections be held in Peru rather than allowing Boluarte to continue in office until Castillo’s term ends in 2026, prompting widespread protests around the nation. Some protesters have also demanded the shutdown of Congress.
On Monday, Castillo requested a constituent assembly in a handwritten letter that was released on Twitter. Boluarte was referred to as a “usurper” and he pledged he “will not resign”. The public “should not succumb for their nasty games of new elections,” he continued.
He said that he had been “humiliated, isolated, mistreated, and kidnapped.”
Before Castillo’s letter was made public on Monday afternoon, Al Jazeera’s Mariana Sanchez, reporting from the nation’s capital, Lima, said the situation remained tense because several important roads had been blocked, including the Pan-American Highway, which is essential for bringing food into the city.
She claimed that in addition to inter-provincial buses that travel between Lima and other regions of the country, numerous flights had been canceled as a result of the disturbance. Sanchez stated, “At least one million passengers have been impacted.”
On December 11, there were reportedly protests in a number of interior Peruvian cities, including Cajamarca, Arequipa, Huancayo, Cusco, and Puno.
Conflicts erupted in Andahuaylas in the Apurimac area when protesters tried to storm the airport of the southern city, according to authorities. Images from the scene that were carried by local TV showed protesters firing slingshots and throwing stones while police fired tear gas in response.
A 15-year-old and an 18-year-old died during the conflicts, Eliana Revollar, the president of Peru’s ombudsman’s office, told a radio station, “probably as a result of gunshot wounds.”
Additionally, hundreds of people demonstrated outside Lima’s legislative building, where riot police deployed tear gas to disperse the masses.
The Congress had met in an emergency session within the palace to discuss the situation, but it had to be adjourned when fights started. Social media images showed members pushing one another in the middle of the chamber and a man striking another man from behind.
The newly established Cabinet of Boluarte is gathering on Sunday night to assess the turmoil and decide how to react, according to Prime Minister Pedro Angulo.
Boluarte also announced a state of emergency in “high conflict” areas in her speech early on Monday, which would enable the military to exert additional control if necessary.
The new president bemoaned the killings that had taken place in Apurimac and stated, “I have given the instructions so that control of internal order can be recovered peacefully, without harming the people’s fundamental rights.
“Put an end to the excessive use of force against protests and ensure the right to peaceful protest,” Amnesty International urged the Peruvian government.
Erika Guevara-Rosas, the organization’s director for the Americas, issued a statement saying, “Furthermore, to prevent further escalation of violence, we urge the authorities to seek dialogue and place human rights at the center of their response to the situation.”
In the meantime, in support of Castillo, who is himself the son of a peasant family, rural unions and organizations that represent Indigenous peoples have called for a “indefinite strike” to start on Tuesday.
In addition to Castillo’s immediate release, the Agrarian and Rural Front of Peru urged that Congress be suspended, early elections be held, and a new constitution be adopted.
Amidst years of political scandals and turmoil, recent polls indicate that over nine in ten Peruvians disapprove of the country’s legislature, prompting calls for new elections. Since 2016, the nation has had six different presidents.
As the Andes area and its thousands of tiny farmers battle to endure the worst drought in a half-century, the power struggle in the nation has persisted.
With around 4.3 million cases and 217,000 fatalities since the pandemic started, the nation of more than 33 million people is also dealing with a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections.
