Violent Peru protests continued on Thursday when thousands of police officers were deployed to the capital Lima to defend against hundreds of protesters who marched toward the downtown area.
The situation came as law enforcement personnel and demonstrators engaged in fierce clashes in the southern city of Arequipa. The weeks-long protest movement in the Andean county has sought a complete government reset.
Peru Protest Death Toll
It was sparked by the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo in December. It was also fueled by deep dissatisfaction over living conditions and inequality in the nation. The protesters' anger has only grown with the rising death toll amid clashes with law enforcement personnel.
At least 53 people have lost their lives in encounters with security forces since the beginning of the protests. Furthermore, the national Ombudsman's office said on Thursday that 772 others had been injured.
Near Arequipa's international airport on Thursday, protesters could be heard shouting "assassins" at police officers while hurling rocks at them. The situation caused the airport to suspend flights that day while law enforcement personnel tried to tear down fences, as per CNN.
Meanwhile, demonstrators who were marching in Lima in defiance of the government-ordered state of emergency demanded the resignation of President Dina Boluarte. They also called for general elections as soon as possible.
The head of Peru's National Police for the Lima region, Gen. Victory Sanabria, said that authorities had deployed 11,800 police officers in Lima. Areas include key locations such as the parliament, the prosecutor's office, select TV stations, the Supreme Court, and the army headquarters.
In recent weeks, the public has accused authorities of using excessive force against demonstrators, including firearms. However, this was a claim that police officials deny, arguing that the tactics they use internationally match standards in controlling protests.
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Supporters of Pedro Castillo
The reason for the protests, Castillo's arrest, was due to his attempts to dissolve Congress. However, the constitutional court called the former president's announcement a "coup d'etat," according to Al Jazeera.
Now, the former president is being held in pre-trial detention as the investigation continues on charges of rebellion. Many protesters are staunch supporters of Castillo with a similar background to him.
They are indigenous from rural Peru's mountainous regions and have argued that Boluarte, who was Castillo's vice president previously, does not represent them. The first protests began in the south and have since spread out to other regions of the country.
Protesters have said that no dialogue was possible with a government that they claim has unleashed so much violence against its people. A protester from Cajamarca, Yorbin Herrera, said they came from Chota and had traveled to Lima to defend their country. They added that they are currently under a government that has stained the nation with blood.
Due to the violent clashes and rising death toll, local officials are warning that Peru is quickly heading toward anarchy. A protest anthem could be heard in the streets, "This democracy is no longer a democracy," said the New York Times.
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