The first casualty of the social outbreak sweeping Peru was David Atequipa Quispe, a 15-year-old teenager who was beginning to discover life. The second, a boy who has barely come of age, who will never again be able to emulate the two megastars who make up his name on a football field: Beckham Romario Quispe Garfias. Both were born in Andahuaylas, a region in the country’s Sierra Sur. Both left their homes to protest after the sacking of Pedro Castillo and against the new government of Dina Boluarte and never returned. They were hit by fire projectiles and their screams were silenced with bullets.
According to the Ministry of Health, between Sunday and Thursday the number of dead rose to 18, of which 12 died directly during the confrontation with the armed forces and the rest from the road blockade. At least six were under the age of 19. None died in Lima, the capital, but in the mountains and on the coast: Apurímac (6), Ayacucho (7), Huancavelica (1), Arequipa (1) and La Libertad (3).
A protester in Lima calls for the closure of Congress. This Thursday marked a week of protests in Peru following the sacking of Pedro Castillo over the attempted self-coup SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA (Portal)
Police officers help one of their colleagues during clashes with demonstrators in front of the Palace of Justice in Lima. Six people have died since the state of emergency came into effect on Wednesday. Aldair Mejia (EFE)
An arrested protester sticks his head out the window of the police vehicle SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA (Portal)
A man remains on the ground after being overpowered by members of the police force. 14 protesters died during the week Aldair Mejía (EFE)
A police officer points his gun at protesters in Chao, a town near the north-central coast of Peru Hugo Curotto (AP)
Demonstrators enter Ayacucho Miguel Gutiérrez Airport (EFE) during this Thursday’s protests
Soldiers and a tank stand guard in front of Arequipa Fredy Salcedo Airport (AP)
People help an injured protester on the day of protests in Lima SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA (Portal)
Women pray in Cuzco during demonstration in support of Pedro Castillo STRINGER (Portal)
Dozens of people are protesting in central Lima, where thousands of Peruvian National Police (PNP) and armed forces agents have been deployed to prevent incidents during the called demonstrations. ALDAIR MEJIA (EFE)
A worker operates heavy machinery to remove the stones blocking the Puno-Arequipa highway in the Yura district. DIEGO RAMOS (AFP)
Soldiers guard the Arequipa-Puno highway at km 16 in the Yura district DIEGO RAMOS (AFP)
The bloodiest day was this Thursday. Violence erupted in Ayacucho, the region hardest hit by terrorism between the 1980s and 1990s. A city that lives in a perpetual crossfire and finds it very difficult to breathe peace. The massacre took place in the vicinity of Alfredo Mendívil Duarte Airport. As confirmed in videos broadcast by neighbors, not all soldiers fired in the air. According to the health department, this is evidenced by seven dead and 52 injured.
“We are fighters, we are not terrorists,” they shouted loudly at Huamanga Plaza de Armas in Ayacucho. And as in the past, the demonstrators have been accused of terrorism in order to delegitimize their protests. The Ayacucho regional government has firmly held current President Dina Boluarte and the interior and defense ministers accountable. “They must resign their positions immediately. We demand an immediate cessation of the use of firearms by the National Police and Armed Forces against our people,” the statement read.
In this regard, the executive decreed five days of compulsory social immobilization in fifteen provinces belonging to the regions of Arequipa, Apurímac, Huancavelica, La Libertad, Cusco, Ayacucho, Ica and Puno. The victims in Ayacucho, where a cacerolazo took place on Thursday evening, have not yet been identified. There are already 187 wounded across the country.
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Two years ago, in November 2020, Peru was also burning with the loss of two young people: Inti Sotelo and Bryan Pintado, and dozens of injured, some with lifelong consequences. At that time, the short de facto government of Manuel Merino de Lama had been installed. The deaths went unpunished as those responsible have not yet been identified. The cry for these eighteen dead from the capital grows with the hours of other mobilizations. Peru shot itself again.
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