Peru's Violent Protests Continue, Causing Dozens of Injuries, Forces Closure of Andahuaylas Airport

Peru's violent protests continue and have already resulted in dozens of injuries and have forced the closure of the country's Andahuaylas airport.

Authorities added that at least one person has been killed amid the demonstrations running rampant across the country. Social media posts featured photographs of the protests that showed smoke billowing from the airport in the southern part of Peru.

Peru's Violent Protests

In a statement, Peru's transport ministry said that 50 police officers and workers were surrounded by demonstrators at the Andahuaylas airport. The protests began on Wednesday after the impeachment of President Pedro Castillo over attempts to dissolve the nation's Congress.

The country's aviation body, Corpac, which is part of the ministry of transport, said that the airport had been seriously affected since Saturday afternoon. It has experienced violent attacks, vandalism, and fires being started.

Officials said that 50 airport workers and police officers were surrounded by protesters in the airport terminal, adding that some people were even taken hostage. The country's national police later reported that the officers at the airport had been to the area with state police, and noted that one officer was injured amid the chaos, as per BBC.

After reporting the one fatality, police said that they were already taking steps to clarify the situation around the individual's death. The country's ombudsman added that the person was an adolescent.

Both Peru's ombudsman and police officials have appealed for an end to the recent violent protests. On Thursday and Friday, hundreds of people marched through the country's capital, Lima, demanding Castillo's release and the resignation of his successor, former Vice President Dina Boluarte.

According to CNN, there were at least 20 injuries, including police officers, on Saturday amid clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel in the southern Peruvian city of Andahuaylas in the Andes. In a Twitter post, Peru's office of the ombudsman said that it was working with health personnel to verify if the injured had received "adequate medical care in the city hospital."

Chaotic Political Environment

The Ombudsman's Office said that there were a number of people who have been detained by law enforcement personnel, but did not detail how many specifically. On the other hand, the country's National Police reported that two officers who were taken captive by the protesters, have been released and were being evaluated by medical personnel.

While the reason behind the protest on Saturday was not yet clear to authorities, Andahuaylas was one of several towns in Peru where citizens took to the streets on Friday in support of Castillo.

Castillo was ousted and imprisoned last week, only hours after trying to dissolve Congress and seize extraordinary powers. The radical left-wing politician's promises to help the country's long-suffering poor proved empty, which gave way to a chaotic administration.

Corruption, which was a perennial evil in Peru's political environment, quickly reared its ugly head. The ousted president's chief of staff fled after $20,000 in cash was found inside his office lavatory. Prosecutors then homed in on the president and his extended family.

Castillo has been accused of heading a criminal conspiracy to skim bribes off public sector contracts. The ousted leader also tried to pre-empt legislators who gathered to consider his impeachment by closing Congress and introducing an emergency rule, the Financial Times reported.