Peru extended the state of emergency in four provinces and three regions of the country, including the capital Lima, after protests against President Dina Boluarte spread. The order, according to the government, is to guarantee security in the demonstrations – 49 people have already died during the acts since the arrest of the former Peruvian leader Pedro Castillo.
The decree is valid for 30 days and also applies to the regions of Cusco and Puno and the provinces of Callao, Andahuaylas, Tambopata and Tahuamanu. The state of emergency allows, among other things, the army to join the police in monitoring the protests. In addition, the order suspends certain rights, such as freedom of movement and assembly and the inviolability of the home.
The government’s decision comes at a time when Dina’s critics are organizing demonstrations from southern Peru towards Lima. The acts, considered riots by the authorities, should start on Monday (16).
The government’s fear is that the scenes of violence registered in the Andean regions in recent weeks will be repeated in the country’s capital. On Saturday (14), for example, demonstrators blocked more than 100 stretches of highways in 11 regions of the Andes and the Amazon, mainly in areas close to the borders with Bolivia and Chile.
In Cusco, on the other hand, the authorities reopened operations at the Velasco Astete airport, closed for two days due to the protests. With the measure, the government seeks to recover tourist activity in the region, where local unions claim to lose up to seven million soles (R$ 9.5 million) a day with the crisis. Trains to Machu Picchu are still suspended.
According to the government, the protests have brought together extremists and guerrillas. “There are extremist sectors that seek to generate disorder and chaos, with subordinate interests”, said Dina on Friday night (13). Recently, in fact, the Peruvian police arrested a former member of the Sendero Luminoso guerrilla, accused of financing vandalism.
Police spokesman General Óscar Arriola said that Rocío Leandro is “a Marxist, Leninist and Maoist murderer” and attributed more than ten deaths to him in the protests in the Ayacucho region. The former guerrilla fighter is also accused of trying to form a criminal organization with seven other people – all of whom were arrested.
The country’s left, however, rejected the police version and considered it a strategy to criminalize the protests. Perú Libre, the party for which Castillo and Dina were elected in 2021, for example, has frequently criticized the government’s latest actions, including Sunday’s state of emergency.
Be that as it may, the political crisis in Peru seems far from over. This Sunday, the Institute of Peruvian Studies released a survey in which 71% of the population disapproves of the way Dina conducts the government. Only 19% of citizens approve of her management – the data was released by the newspaper La República.
Interestingly, Castillo’s situation is a little better. According to the poll, 66% of the country disapproves of Castillo’s coup attempt, while 30% approves. In addition, 60% want the former president not to be imprisoned.
The numbers of Congress, protagonist in the country’s repeated political crises, are even worse: 88% of Peruvians disapprove of its actions; in December, it was 80%.
The survey also found that 58% of Peruvians believe that police officers overtook the protests. Human rights groups also accuse security forces of excessive use of force in repressing demonstrators.
On Friday, the Public Ministry confirmed the opening of 11 investigations into deaths caused by clashes between protesters and the Armed Forces. Earlier this week, the agency had already started a preliminary investigation involving Dina, the prime minister, Alberto Otárola, and other authorities, suspected of crimes of genocide, qualified homicide and serious injuries.
Protesters demand the resignation of Baluarte, the release of Castillo, the dissolution of Parliament and the anticipation of elections for this year – the election has already been advanced from 2026 to 2024. Another demand is the convening of a Constituent Assembly. Enacted in 1993 by the dictator Alberto Fujimori, the current Charter is seen by Castillo supporters as one of the factors responsible for inequality in the country.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
