Since President Pedro Castillo left office on December 7, protests have spread across the country, but have become particularly violent in parts of the interior.
Protests erupted in Peru following the impeachment and arrest of former President Pedro Castillo. Who tried to dissolve Congress and install an emergency government? It left nearly twenty dead last week, according to the country’s Ministry of Health data.
In an update posted on Twitter on Friday (16), health officials reported 20 dead and 63 hospitalized.
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Protests have spread across the country since Castillo left on December 7, but have been particularly violent in parts of the interior. In other cases, protesters expressed themselves peacefully.
The social turmoil of recent days has led to the first resignations in current President Dina Boluarte’s cabinet.
Education Minister Patrícia Correa submitted a letter of resignation on Friday 16th, arguing that it was “not justified” for citizens to die in social protests.
Shortly after, Minister of Culture Jair Pérez Brañez resigned for the same reasons.
Also on Friday (16), after a long session that started on Thursday (15), the National Congress did not approve the bill that would put the elections forward.
Although 49 deputies voted in favor of the constitutional reform project, which set out the expectation, 33 against it and 25 congressmen abstained, so the proposal was not accepted.
The project proposed holding elections in December 2023 and shortening the mandate of Boluarte, who is responsible for assuming the leadership of the State to complete the presidential term in which Castillo was elected. and it only expires in mid-2026.
Tension and tourists stranded in Ayacucho
Thursday (15) was a day of great tension and strong protests.
Boluarte government? who had declared a state of national emergency the day before (14)? He declared a night curfew for five days in 15 provinces of the country to find a solution to the security problems.
One of the most serious incidents occurred in Ayacucho, an Andean city about 390 kilometers southeast of Lima, where a group of demonstrators tried to take over the city’s airport.
According to the Ayacucho regional health authority, clashes with demonstrators between soldiers and police left eight people dead and 52 injured that day alone.
Public defender Eliana Revollar told AFP that the clash occurred as soldiers surrounded them.
He added that because the victims died from gunshot wounds, what happened deserved criminal investigation. The state of emergency does not remove the obligation to respect the right to life.
In addition, Machu Picchu mayor Darwin Baca told AFP that about 5,000 tourists are stranded in Cusco.
Cusco is the base from which people set out to explore the high Inca fortress in the Andes.
Cusco airport was closed on Monday (12) after protesters tried to storm the terminal. According to the Peruvian Ministry of Defense, on Friday (16), air operations resumed with the first flight departing at 13:30 local time (3:30 p.m. Brazilian time).
Train services from Machu Picchu to Cusco have been suspended from Tuesday (13). Baca added that about 800 tourists were stranded in the ancient Inca city.
BBC News Brasil contacted Itamaraty to find out if there were any Brazilians stranded in the city and what was done to bring them back, but no response was sent until this report was published.
– This text was published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-64012174.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.