LIMA, Peru (AP) December,12 – Peru’s new president, Dina Boruarte, bowed to protesters’ demands early Monday morning and announced in a nationally televised address that she would submit a proposal to parliament to bring forward elections.
Bolarte’s decision comes after thousands of protesters took to the streets across Peru on Sunday, demanding her resignation and calling for elections to replace her and parliament. It has been deadly, with at least two deaths reported in remote Andean communities.
Bolarte said he would put forward plans for a general election in April 2024. This is contrary to what she had previously said that she would be allowed to hold the position for the remainder of her predecessor’s tenure of three and a half years. Amid the ongoing political crisis, many protesters demanded the release of centre-left president Pedro Castillo, who was ousted by lawmakers on Wednesday after trying to dissolve parliament ahead of an impeachment voting.
The protests that rocked Peru were particularly hot in rural areas, home to Castillo, a former schoolteacher and political newcomer from the impoverished Andean region. Demonstrators set fire to a police station, destroyed a small airport used by the military, and marched through the streets.
Hundreds also protested in Lima, where riot police used tear gas to push protesters back.
In an address to the nation, Bolarte declared a state of emergency in areas on the outskirts of Lima where protests were particularly violent. Bolarte, 60, was quickly sworn in mid-week to replace Castillo, hours after he surprised the country by ordering the dissolution of parliament, who was arrested on treason charges.
Castillo’s failed move against the opposition-led Congress came hours before lawmakers were due to launch a third impeachment attempt against him.
There have been days of isolated protests across the country. Protesters have also set up roadblocks, leaving people stranded for hours.
On Saturday, a hospital in Andahuaylas reported that he had 16 people being treated for concussions, one of whom he was in critical condition. Boruarte is calling for a period of national unity to recover from the recent upheaval. But many of those demonstrating for her Castillo call her a “traitor.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of people once again gathered in front of the Capitol in Lima on Sunday. Dozens of police officers in riot gear used tear gas on the crowd as lawmakers began a meeting inside the building. Police also tracked down and beat demonstrators fleeing the scene in a cloud of gas.
Peru has had six presidents in the last six years, including three in a week in 2020 when Congress used impeachment powers. The country’s power struggle continues as the Andean region and its thousands of small farms struggle to survive the worst drought in half a century. With a population of over 33 million, the country has also experienced a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections, with nearly 4.3 million people infected and 217,000 dead since the pandemic began.
