The President of the Council of Ministers told the newspaper El Comercio that in the protests unleashed on December 8 – with a total of 26 dead – there were no orders to shoot against the dismissal of President Pedro Castillo, now in prison, and his replacement, Dina Boluarte.
“There was a specific order to protect the health and life of Peruvians, the police forces and the armed forces are very clear about what their duty is, through their procedures on the use of force, they are regulations that have been in the works for a long time was a long time ago and that they are in force,” he claimed.
He added that the government will guarantee public order and regrets the deaths, “but we must have a high sense of responsibility and continue to make decisions to protect the integrity of all our compatriots.”
Otárola was also consulted on the possibility that Generals Jesús Vera and Ántero Mejía, the respective army and police chiefs of the southern Andean region of Ayacucho, the region with the highest mortality under investigation for the deaths, are not participating in operations against the protests registered there to restart.
“It’s a decision for the Secretary of Defense to make. I understand that they are conducting their own internal investigation, which specifically corresponds to the joint command of the armed forces, and I think that time must be given time,” he replied.
The number two in government also reiterated that the troops are cracking down on violent groups and even what he described as terrorists who exploit social discontent, although there are complaints of excesses by those in uniform.
Meanwhile, political scientist Javier Azpur has questioned the pacification proclaimed in earlier statements by Otárola, who was defense minister during the heavy events, leading opponents to blame him directly for the aftermath.
“This start of dialogue in the regions comes late, after nearly three dozen murders and the description of an outraged citizenry as terrorists and vandals,” the commentator said.
He pointed out that the head of state, who was booed by protesters yesterday during a visit to the southern Andean city of Cusco where she called for dialogue, is unaware of her mistakes, nor does she accept her responsibilities such as declaring a state of siege and deployment of armed forces.
He pointed out that the president only offers talks on social and economic projects but refuses to deal with political demands, such as bringing elections forward to next year rather than April 2024, as the unpopular parliament decided.
To this was added, according to Azpur, that politicians and the media who opposed Castillo conducted towards his government “a discourse of contempt and racism which the Andean people, especially the peasantry, perceived as direct affects against them”, which he delineated: Boluarte says nothing.
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