The Pope calls for an end to the violence in Peru and criticism of the president for the repression is growing

Pope Francis asked himself this Sunday the cessation of violence in Peruafter more than a month of protests in the midst of a profound political crisis, and asked the authorities to take “the path of dialogue”.

The tension does not subside and criticism of Dina Boluarte’s government for the repression multiplies, when more than 60 people have already died in the demonstrations throughout the country.

“I join the Peruvian bishops in saying no to violence, wherever it comes from, no more dead”, the Pope asked after the Sunday Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace.

Protests have rocked Peru since December, following the ousting of President Pedro Castillo following his own coup attempt. Protesters ask for the resignation of President Boluarteearly elections and Constituent Assembly to draft a new Constitution.

Violent clashes between protesters and security forces have already caused 62 deaths, according to a latest toll released this Sunday. Two people died on Saturday during anti-government protests in the Peruvian city of Virú in the northern region of La Libertad, police sources confirmed.

In front of the faithful who listened to him from Piazza San Pedro, including some Peruvians living in Rome, Francis asked to pray “for the acts of violence to cease” in the Andean country, which he visited on an apostolic journey in January 2018.

“Violence extinguishes the hope of a fair solution to the problems. I encourage all the parties involved to embark on the path of dialogue between brothers of the same nation in full respect of human rights and the rule of law”, urged the pontiff.

The demonstrations began on December 7, when Dina Boluarte, until then vice president and member of the same leftist party as Castillo, assumed the presidency of Peru by constitutional succession after the president’s failed self-coup, a former teachers’ union leader who rose to the presidency in the disputed 2021 election.

After a Christmas truce, protests have regained strength since 4 January, especially in the south.

Demonstrations have reached the capital, Lima, and the National Police (PNP) raided the National University of San Marcos (UNMSM) this Saturday to evict hundreds of demonstrators who had come from all over Peru to participate in anti-government protests and who had camped inside of.

harsh criticism

Meanwhile, the Boluarte government faced fresh criticism this Sunday after hundreds of police officers raided a university in Lima and arrested around 200 protesters.

Center deputy and former education minister Flor Pablo formally requested the presence of Prime Minister Alberto Otárola and Interior Minister Vicente Romero in Congress for Saturday’s assault on the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos ( Unmsm), as well as that of the rector of the house of studies, Jeri Ramón.

In addition, the non-governmental organization Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (Cnddhh) subpoenaed Minister Romero and the head of the Peruvian National Police (PNP), Raúl Alfaro Alvarado, filed a writ of habeas corpus for the detainees and denounced a “abuse of power” by the government and the police for admission to the university campus.

Approximately 400 riot police supported by special forces They broke in with tanks, knocking down one of the access doors. at the University of San Marcos and arrested more than 200 people.

The agents fired tear gas, despite meeting no resistance, according to testimonies collected by the Peruvian press.

Delegations of demonstrators who came from different parts of Peru to participate in the so-called “Take of Lima” as part of the protests demanding Boluarte’s resignation have been staying at the site since last week, and with permission to spend one night.

In an effort to appease the demandsin December the Parliament brought forward the elections from 2026 to April 2024, but the demonstrations continue and the demand is for the immediate departure of Boluarte and members of Congress.

Police cordon in Lima

As in the last demonstrations that took place in Peru, the authorities have restricted access to Plaza San Martín, located in the historic center of Lima, in the face of student protests.

At the end of the operation at the university, several leaders and civil rights organizations expressed their solidarity with the demonstrators.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on the Peruvian authorities to guarantee the “legality and proportionality” of the intervention.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (CIDH) has expressed its “concern” over the “police incursion, evictions and mass arrests” at the university and urged the authorities to “account for the facts and ensure the integrity and due process of all people”.

Source: Agencies

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