Anti-Boluarte protests to continue in defiance of state of emergency

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Jan 08:57
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Despite the government extending the state of emergency by 30 days, Peruvians are set to participate in a major demonstration in Lima.

A demonstration in Lima, January 4, 2023 (Angela Ponce/Reuters)

Lima and other Peruvian regions were under a renewed state of emergency, as opponents of President Dina Boluarte began mobilizing toward the capital ahead of a major demonstration Monday.

At least 42 people have died, according to Peru's human rights ombudsman, in five weeks of clashes at burning roadblocks and other flashpoints to demand fresh elections and Boluarte's resignation.

Boluarte took over on December 7 following the impeachment and arrest of leftist Pedro Castillo after his attempt to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.

The government extended by 30 days a state of emergency from midnight Saturday for Lima, Cusco, Callao, and Puno, authorizing the military to back up police actions to "restore public order."

The state of emergency suspended constitutional rights such as freedom of movement and assembly, according to a decree published in the official gazette.

In protest epicenter Puno, the government declared a new night-time curfew for 10 days, from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am.

On his part, Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Otarola called on protesters to "radically change" their tactics and opt for dialogue.

"There is a small group organized and paid for by drug trafficking and illegal mining that wants to take power by force," Otarola claimed on local television.

On Friday, Boluarte expressed her "regret" for the deaths, but insisted, "I will not resign."

More than 100 Peruvian, Argentine, and Chilean intellectuals, meanwhile, urged Boluarte in an open letter Saturday to "stop the massacre of citizens who exercise their legitimate right" to protest.

Last week, the Peruvian Attorney General's Office confirmed it has launched an investigation into genocide against Boluarte, Otarola, and other ministers over citizens killed during anti-government protests in December 2022 and January 2023.

The unrest has been largely concentrated in the southern Andes, where Quechua and Aymara communities live. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has said that in order to end the crisis, these groups need to be better integrated into Peruvian society.

Jose Muro, deputy minister of territorial governance, told TV Peru on Sunday that the government would create "spaces for dialogue" countrywide to discuss unanswered social demands.

Meanwhile, the airport in Cusco, the gateway to the famed Machu Picchu site, reopened Saturday. It had been shuttered two days earlier -- the second time it had been closed due to the protests. Train services to the historic Inca citadel also resumed Sunday.

Peru has been politically unstable for years, with 60-year-old Boluarte becoming the country's sixth president in just five years.