“The national police will carry out the unblocking of the roads”, announced this Thursday evening the ministries of the Interior and Defense in a press release, while 88 barricades were identified in the country.
The Peruvian government has ordered the intervention of the police and the army to clear, in the coming hours, the dozens of roadblocks set up across the country by demonstrators demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.
Authorities on Thursday identified 88 barricades on roads in 8 of Peru’s 25 regions. These roadblocks lead to shortages of basic products and fuel, drive up prices and, according to the government, complicate access to care and the arrival of medicines in several areas of the country.
At least 46 dead since December
The central highway that connects the Andes and is the main route for importing food products to Lima has notably been closed. Hundreds of trucks are blocked.
The government has accused the dams of being the direct cause of ten deaths, including those of three children who, according to it, were unable to receive the critical care they needed in time.
“On this date, ten innocent Peruvians have lost their lives because of this illegal act”, denounced the two ministries in their press release.
The right to demonstrate “does not include blocking the way, much less can trump the right to life of people who need to be transported to receive treatment (…) or who need the oxygen or medicines arrive in their regions so that they can continue to live,” they added.
Peru has been in the grip of a serious political crisis since the dismissal and arrest on December 7 of socialist President Pedro Castillo, accused of an attempted coup for having wanted to dissolve the parliament which was preparing to oust him from power.
Clashes between security forces and pro-Castillo protesters, who are demanding Boluarte’s resignation and immediate elections, have left at least 46 people dead in six weeks.
