Political crisis in Peru: Bolluarte appeals for “dialogue”.

The Peruvian president Dina Boluartefaced with a very serious political and social crisis since taking power more than two months ago, called on Friday for a broad dialogue to agree “the program of the country”, which she described as a “fragile democracy”.

“In the search for peace, I openly invite all political leaders, of all parties, as well as leaders of social organizations, workers, in general the whole world, to participate in order to put the country’s program on the table,” said the leader of the state during a press conference he gave together with its prime minister, Alberto Otarola.

“We live in a fragile democracy (…) I think it is the most fragile democracy in Latin America, but it is up to the Peruvians, to us, to strengthen this democracy, our institutions”, added Mrs. Boluarte, at the same time taking stock of the government her.

Peru’s sixth president since 2018, Dina Bolluarte, has faced popular upheaval, almost daily mass demonstrations, since she took office in early December. Their violent repression has claimed the lives of at least 48 people, mostly in the southern part of the country.

Ms. Boluarte said the protests “are not peaceful.”

“They take to the streets with mortars, stones, projectiles that cause damage (…) Not everyone is protesting peacefully, they take to the streets to cause violence, chaos and terror.”

The Peruvian president added that “if there were excesses on the part of the police, we are sorry for them”, but she reminded that “we also have injured police officers, including some very seriously”.

The uprising began on December 7, when it was stopped by a decision of the Congress, the left-wing ex-president Pedro Castillo was arrested and remanded in prison, who was replaced by his vice-president until then, Dina Boluarte. Mr. Castillo was accused of attempting a “coup” as he sought to dissolve parliament and rule by decree.

When Ms. Boluarte took over, it was thought that her term would end in 2026.

The current president was elected with the same Marxist-inspired party as Mr. Castillo and is branded a “traitor” by the protesters, members of mainly indigenous tribes like the ousted president.

The protesters are demanding that President Bolluarte resign, that Congress, discredited by public opinion, be dissolved, that parliamentary and presidential elections be called immediately, and that a Constituent Assembly be convened to draw up a new Constitution.

Amid road blockades, economic paralysis and a state of emergency in 9 of the country’s 25 counties, the president and Congress have so far been unable to reach a consensus to end the crisis.

In December, the parliament decided to speed up the presidential and parliamentary elections, to be held in April 2024, but the president insisted that the national delegation approve their holding in October this year, in the hope that this would de-escalate the crisis.

But citing procedural errors and omissions, Congress decided on February 3 that the issue of speeding up the election would not be discussed again until August.

RES-EMP

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