At least 47 people have died amid violent protests in Peru following the arrest of the country's former president, Pedro Castillo, over his attempts to dissolve Congress to maintain power.
Supporters of Castillo clashed with security forces in southeastern Peru, resulting in dozens of injuries on Monday in the city of Juliaca. The recent demonstrations are considered some of the worst violence since the former president was taken into custody last month.
Violent Protests in Peru
Castillo's supporters have been protesting his arrest and have blockaded roads for several weeks. They argued that the new president, Dina Boluarte, who was formerly Castillo's vice president, must step down and have called for snap elections.
In a statement, Peru Prime Minister Alberto Otarola denounced the clashes in Juliaca, describing them as organized attacks on law enforcement personnel. The official said that several thousands of people tried to overrun the city's airport as well as a local police station.
On the other hand, one protester said that the police began shooting at them during the violent clashes. The demonstrator added that they were calling on Dina to resign and accept the fact that the people of Peru did not want her as president, as per BBC.
The city of Juliaca is located in the Puno region of Peru, which has been a hotbed of anti-government demonstrations. For several years, the South American nation has gone through political turmoil, with the most recent incident coming to a head after Castillo announced he was going to dissolve Congress and introduce a statement of emergency in December.
However, Congress proceeded to vote unanimously to impeach the president, who is now in detention and is being investigated on charges of rebellion and conspiracy. Castillo continues to deny all the accusations and insists that he is still the country's legitimate president.
According to the New York Times, the latest victims of the violence in Peru include a young medical student who wanted to help injured protesters, a 22-year-old man who finally had enough savings to study mechanics and an ice cream vendor who was just going home after a long day of work.
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The Arrest of Former President Pedro Castillo
None of these individuals took part in the protests but all were killed on Monday in southern Peru. In only a few hours, at least 17 civilians and one police officer were killed in the violent clashes.
The killings drew widespread criticism of Peruvian security forces, which appeared to be responsible for most, if not all, of the deaths. Protesters and human rights groups have accused them of using lethal force indiscriminately against civilians.
Milagros Samillan, the 27-year-old sister of the deceased medical resident, said that her brother was wearing his uniform so that they would be recognized and not be harmed by security forces. The victim was identified as 31-year-old Marco Samillan.
The Andean Airports of Peru, which is responsible for operating the Juliaca airport, said that airport services were suspended due to the "violent acts and lack of security" in the area. In December, protesters forced the temporary closure of three airports in Peru, Al Jazeera reported.
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