The day began with eighteen coffins placed in front of the Carlos Monge Medrano Hospital in Juliaca, southern Peru. Solidarity arose amidst the horror of the deaths of the protesters on the fateful January 9th. A group of funeral homes donated coffins so loved ones could be released with dignity. Not for nothing is one of them called Luz Divina. This act of humanity shines like a radiance in view of the inertia that the Andean country has suffered since the outbreak of protests after the failed self-coup of Pedro Castillo, who is now in custody.
At the same time, in Lima, that city far from the countryside, the ministers of the government of Dina Boluarte, headed by Prime Minister Alberto Otárola, arrived in buses and with escort at the Congress of the Republic to request a vote of confidence, that constitutional mechanism, by which a cabinet of ministers gains legitimacy vis-à-vis the other powers of the state. Former Prime Minister Mirtha Vásquez called it lazy not to suspend the law with 46 dead in tow: “As if the deaths of Peruvians in Puno had no value; with complete inertia, Congress decides to continue with the plenary session in the normal way, even to deal with the vote of confidence in favor of the executive. A Congress with its back turned and against the dignity of a people”.
Riot police clash with anti-government protesters in Puno, Peru.JUAN CARLOS CISNEROS (AFP)
Meanwhile, in the rest of Peru, mobilizations and concentrations intensified in 31 provinces across 12 regions in response to violence and repression that left 18 dead on Monday. Most angry: the Cusco region, neighboring Puno, which has been hardest hit by the security forces’ abuses. Citizens from the provinces of Canchis, Canas, Acompayo and Quispicanchi gathered in the capital, Cusco, to demand the resignation of Boluarte, a president who has counted more deaths than days in government: 46 in 33 days.
In the afternoon, the executive branch declared a national mourning for the victims of the protests on January 11th. But instead of acknowledging his political responsibility and lowering the tone of his confrontational speech, Prime Minister Otárola made it clear that they are not ready to give in to the mobilizations. “We will not allow this coup to reach Lima and weaken the government,” he said. His presentation to the plenary session of Congress was rushed: he, along with his ministers, received catcalls from the left pews, causing the session to be postponed for a few hours.
At the same time, the regional government of Puno Boluarte and Otárola declared itself persona non grata; and Interior Ministers Víctor Rojas; Defense, Jose Luis Chavez. And also to the General of the National Police of Puno, Pablo Villanueva Yana; and General of the Army Brigade in Puno, Manuel Alarcón.
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This Tuesday, the authorities also reported the loss of 29-year-old Sergeant José Luis Soncco Quispe. The Interior Ministry reported that last Monday a patrol – with Soncco on board and another agent – was attacked by a group of protesters in Puno’s Tambopata urbanization. The mob set fire to the vehicle. According to investigations, one of the non-commissioned officers managed to escape while Soncco was burned. Due to the confiscation, compulsory social immobilization, a curfew, has been decreed in Puno for three days from this Tuesday between eight in the afternoon and four in the morning.
A woman during a confrontation with security forces demanding snap elections STRINGER (Portal)
Meanwhile, the international condemnation adds to the actions of the Peruvian judiciary. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner in Peru expressed its concern in a statement: “We are deeply concerned by the increase in violence in Peru (…) We reiterate our call for the security forces to uphold human rights standards and ensure that violence is eliminated.” applied only where strictly necessary and, in that case, in full respect of the principles of legality, precautionary and proportionality”. Appropriately, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that it will visit Peru again between Wednesday and Friday of this week.
At the end of the day, the National Prosecutor’s Office formalized the investigation into President Dina Boluarte; and the ministers involved in the conflict: the President of the Council of Ministers, Alberto Otárola; Interior Minister Víctor Rojas; Defense Minister Jorge Chávez. They are joined by fugitive ex-Prime Minister Pedro Angulo and ex-Interior Minister Cesar Cervantes. All of them are being investigated for “the alleged crimes of genocide, aggravated murder and serious injuries” for the 46 deaths and hundreds of injuries in the December and January protests.
After five hours of debate, late at night, the Congress plenary approved the vote of confidence in the cabinet, chaired by Alberto Otárola. A simple majority (half plus one) of the 123 MPs present was required. And they did it with 73 votes in favour, 42 against and six abstentions. A fact that will further fuel the outrage of the population.
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