Thousands March on Peru’s Capital as Protesters Demand Government Reset (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Thousands of Peruvian protesters enraged by recent crackdown deaths have poured into Lima for a planned mass demonstration against the government and Congress.
Protesters, many of them from the southern mining regions, arrived in Lima either in buses or on foot on Thursday, carrying flags and banners, denouncing the government and police for deadly clashes in the southern cities of Ayacucho and Juliaca.
Demonstrators, fired up by over 50 deaths linked to protests since December, demand resignation of President Dina Boluarte resign, snap elections, congress reshuffle, and a new constitution.
The December fatalities marked the worst episode of violence the copper-rich Andean nation has experienced in more than two decades as many people in poorer rural regions are angry at the Lima political elite over inequality and rising prices.
A second protester who was seriously injured in clashes with police in southern Peru on Wednesday has died, the country's rights ombudsman's office said on Thursday.
After a 35-year-old woman was killed on Wednesday, a man identified as Salomon Valenzuela "died this morning after (suffering) serious injuries," a source Protesters are far from being calm and forgiving.
"We won't forget the pain the police have caused in the town of Juliaca. We women, men, children have to fight," said one protester traveling to Lima.
Unrest began in December after former President Pedro Castillo was ousted and arrested. Since then, streets of Peru have witnessed clashes between security forces and Castillo's supporters.
Police have boosted surveillance of roads entering the capital and political leaders have called for calm. Last week, the government extended a state of emergency in Lima and the southern regions of Puno and Cusco.
"We do not want more deaths, we do not want more injuries, enough blood, enough mourning for the families of Peru," Interior Minister Vicente Romero told reporters.
Although Boluarte has asked for "forgiveness" for the protest deaths, she firmly refuses to step down. Protesters are far from being calm and forgiving.
"We won't forget the pain the police have caused in the town of Juliaca. We women, men, children have to fight," said one protester traveling to Lima.
Castillo, an indigenous Peruvian and former school teacher, is the first president from outside the country's political elite. He first became known for leading the national teachers' strike in 2017. Castillo then became a member of the Free Peru union and ran in the 2021 elections to improve the lives of Peruvians grappling with a recession worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. While campaigning to redraft the constitution, Castillo promised to raise taxes on mining firms and use mining revenues to improve education and health services.
Peru is the world’s second-largest copper- and zinc-producing country.
