While some people living in urban areas see these protesters as extremists, at least one reliable poll shows a majority of Peruvians support the protests.
What has the government done to address this unrest?
The new president, Dina Boluarte, has called a national emergency, a measure that specifically limits guarantees to certain citizenships. The protests have only gotten bigger and more violent. Police and troops were sent in to try to restore order in the countryside, and they sometimes responded with unusual violence. Security forces shot several in the chest, back and head.
You’ve been to Juliaca, a southern city where 19 people were killed on January 9. How do you get there if protesters shut down highways and immobilize the country?
My colleagues and I persuaded the protesters to allow us to cross the barricade by bringing prints of our past stories, often talking to the protesters for hours. It was finally dark when we reached Juliaca after a nine-hour drive. The street is blocked by part of a rusty amusement park, chicken wire and small fires. It really feels like we’ve arrived at the end of time.
What did you find in the morning?
We woke up in the Andes at almost 13,000 feet above sea level. Juliaca is a city of extremes: The sun is closer, more intense. Wind cut, dusty and cold. One of the first things we saw upon leaving the hotel was a spontaneous march taking place in the street.
There are young people wearing tight jeans and older women wearing skirts, braids and traditional hats. Together, they blamed the new president for the protesters’ deaths and said, “This democracy is no longer a democracy.”
What have you learned from talking to protesters?
Being there helped me understand why people feel that Peruvian democracy is not working for them. People feel the system is rigged against them. And in fact, I can really see why they believe that.
