Despite the state of emergency in the capital Lima and three other regions in the south of the country, demonstrators from other parts of the country left for a mass demonstration in Peru on Monday in the capital. About 3,000 protesters in trucks and buses burst into Andahuaylas, in the country’s southeast, on Sunday.
On Saturday night, dozens of people took to the streets of the tourist district of Miraflores, in Lima, mobilizing for a “takeover of the city”. The Peruvian government declared a regional emergency on Saturday. The measure, which is initially valid for 30 days, allows, among other things, the intervention of the Army to restore public order.
The emergency decree suspended several constitutional rights, such as freedom of movement and assembly, in the affected regions of Lima, Cusco, Callao and Puno. At the epicenter of the protests in Puno, the government also imposed a night curfew for ten days, from 8 pm to 4 am.
Unrest after the impeachment of the president
According to authorities, more than 100 roadblocks blocked traffic in Peru on Sunday. Eleven of the 25 regions of the South American country were affected – especially in the south of the country, but also in the Lima region.
Peru has been ravaged by unrest since the overthrow and arrest of leftist President Pedro Castillo on Dec. Protesters are demanding the resignation of his successor, Dina Boluarte, and the dissolution of parliament so that new elections can be held without delay.
At least 42 people have been killed and hundreds injured in protests in Peru so far. The victims were honored at a mass at Lima’s Cathedral on Sunday. According to the Public Ministry, more than 300 people were arrested.
Fronts look hardened
On the eve of Monday’s demonstrations, fronts appeared to harden on both the protesters’ and the government’s side. Nurse Jasmin Reinoso, 25, said protests on Monday and Tuesday in Lima would be more violent than on Sunday. “We demand that Dina Boluarte resign and that they close parliament immediately. We don’t want any more deaths,” said Reinoso.
Prime Minister Alberto Otarola called on protesters to “radically change” their tactics and choose dialogue. “There is a small group, paid and organized by drug trafficking and illegal mining, that wants to take power by force,” he told Peruvian TV group Latina.
Before Castillo was ousted from office, Boluarte was his vice president – and succeeded him under Peru’s constitution. She belongs to the same leftist party as Castillo. Protesters see her as a “traitor”.