Thousands of people from different departments of Peru gathered in Lima to demand the removal of the president and the establishment of a Constituent Assembly. In this context, the Peruvian authorities deployed an operation of 11,800 police officers who “will be on duty so that no excesses occur and we ensure activities in the city of Lima,” reported Victor Zanabriachief of the Lima Police Region, according to the local media RPP.
The political crisis that plagues Peru dates back a long time with the departure of various presidents before the mandate is fulfilled. On December 7, when former president Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve Congress, for which reason the Legislative Branch, with a large majority including several of its deputies, decided to vote for the vacancy and remove him from the highest political power. At that time, he assumed who was his vice president and current president Boluarte.
At that time, the protests broke out and successive marches were carried out with a high degree of violence, which have already left 44 dead, the result of police repression.
The death toll rose to 44 after two new deaths were reported, in this case linked to protests in the Puno region, where a mob burned down a police station and a courthouse. A woman died yesterday from a gunshot wound, while another person died today after suffering a gunshot wound in that same demonstration, the Ombudsman’s Office informed the AFP news agency.
On Monday of last week, in one of the most violent days since the mobilizations began, 18 people died in the department of Puno.
In an attempt to appease the demands, in December the parliament brought forward the elections from 2026 to April 2024, but the demonstrations persist and the demand is for the immediate departure of Boluarte and the members of Congress.
The president called for calm on Monday: “We know that they want to take over Lima because of everything that is appearing on the networks. And I call you to take Lima, yes, but in peace and calm. I’ll wait for you at the Government House to discuss the social agendas you have”.
