CNN
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protest across Peru on Thursday saw thousands of police officers deployed to Lima’s capital as hundreds of protesters marched toward the downtown area, while violent clashes broke out in the southern city of Arequipa.
The Andean nation’s weeks-long protest movement – which seeks to completely re-establish the government – was sparked by the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo in December and is fueled by deep discontent. on living conditions and inequality in the country.
Protesters’ anger has also grown with the death toll rising: At least 53 people have been killed in clashes with security forces since the unrest began and more than 772 injured , the National Ombudsman’s office said on Thursday.
Protesters shouted “murderers” at police and threw rocks on Thursday near Arequipa’s international airport, causing flights to be suspended on Thursday as some tried to tear down barricades. , according to live footage from the city. Smoke can be seen rising from the surrounding fields.
Meanwhile, protesters marched in Lima – despite the state of emergency declared by the government – demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and calling for a general election as soon as possible.
General Victor Sanabria, head of the Peruvian National Police in the Lima area, told local media that 11,800 police were deployed in Lima, with important locations such as the parliament, the prosecutor’s office, a TV station numbers, Supreme Court and military headquarters. extra protection.
Peruvian authorities have been accused of using excessive force against protesters, including weapons, in recent weeks – an allegation that police denied, saying their tactics were in line with international standards. international standard.
autopsies on 17 civilians diedThe head of the city’s legal health department told CNN en Español that people killed during protests in the city of Juliaca on January 9 found gunshot wounds.
Jo-Marie Burt, a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America, told CNN that what happened in Juliaca in early January was “the highest civilian death toll in the country since the return of Peru.” democracy” in 2000.
Edgar Stuardo Ralón, vice president of the commission, said Wednesday a fact-finding mission to Peru by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) also found that gunshot wounds were found. on the head and upper body of the victims.
Ralon described the “worsening of the public debate” about the protests in Peru, with protesters being branded as “terrorists” and indigenous people being referred to by derogatory terms. offense.
He warned that such language could create a “more violent atmosphere”.
“When the press uses that, when the political elites use that, I mean, it’s easier for the police and other security forces to use this kind of repression, isn’t it?” Omar Coronel, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru who specializes in protest movements in Latin America, told CNN.
Peruvian officials have not made public details of those killed in the unrest. However, experts say indigenous protesters are suffering the most bloodshed.
“The victims are mostly indigenous people from rural Peru,” says Burt.
“Protests are concentrated in central and southern Peru, regions with many indigenous peoples of the country, these are areas that have historically been marginalized and excluded from political and economic life. and the society of the nation.”
The protesters wanted new elections, Boluarte’s resignation, constitutional change and the release of Castillo, who is currently in pre-trial detention.
At the heart of the crisis are demands for better living conditions that have not been met in the two decades since democracy was restored in the country.
While Peru’s economy has boomed over the past decade, many have failed to reap the rewards, with experts noting chronic shortcomings in security, justice, education and services. other basic services in the country.
Ahead of Thursday’s protests, people explained to CNN en Espanol why they came to Lima to protest. Some complain about corruption in their region, while others call Boluarte, who was President Castillo’s vice president, a traitor.
“Currently, the political situation deserves a change in representation, government, executive and legislative. That is what lies ahead. Because there are other profound problems – inflation, underemployment, poverty, malnutrition and other historical problems that have not been solved yet,” said protester Carlos, a sociologist from the University of California. San Marcos, said from Lima on Wednesday.
Another protester told CNNEE that “there is great corruption in Peru, unfortunately the State has abandoned the people.”
Castillo, a former teacher and union leader who never held an elected office before becoming president, hails from rural Peru and considers himself a man of the people. Many of his supporters come from poorer regions and hope Castillo will bring better prospects to the country’s indigenous and rural people.
While protests have occurred across the country, the worst violence has occurred in the rural and indigenous south, where there have long been conflicts with whites and the country’s coastal mestizo , who are of mixed origins, belonging to the elite.
Peru’s legislature is also viewed with skepticism by the public. The president and members of parliament are not allowed to serve consecutive terms, according to Peruvian law, and critics have noted their lack of political experience.
A poll released by the IEP in September 2022 found that 84% of Peruvians disapprove of the action of Congress. Legislators are seen not only pursuing their own interests in Congress, but also being involved in corrupt practices.
The country’s frustrations were reflected in its years-long revolving presidency. Incumbent President Boluarte is the sixth head of state in less than five years.
Joel Hernández García, commissioner of the IACHR, told CNN that what is needed to overcome the crisis is political dialogue, police reform and compensation for those killed during the protests.
“Police forces have to review their protocol. “To use non-lethal force according to the principles of lawfulness, necessity, proportion and as a last resort,” said Hernández García.
“Police officers have a duty to protect those who participate in social protests, but also (protect) others who are not participating,” he added.
