Peru: despite the state of emergency, the demonstrators converge on Lima
Protesters march through the streets of Lima, January 16, 2023. AP - Martin Mejia
Text by: RFI Follow
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Despite the state of emergency, thousands of demonstrators, mostly from areas in the south of the country, have converged on Lima in recent days to give more weight to their movement initiated on December 7 after the dismissal and arrest of President Pedro Castillo. .
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After nearly five weeks of protests, Peru has woken up to protests and roadblocks despite
Monday's extension of the state of emergency for 30 days in Lima
and the regions of Cusco, Callao and Puno.
Protesters are calling for
the resignation of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte
and the prompt calling of elections, originally scheduled for next year.
In statements to the radio station RPP-Radio Programas de Peru, the Minister of Justice, José Tello, did not rule out that Congress would advance them to 2023. The protesters are also calling for the release of
deposed President Pedro Castillo
.
They are also demanding justice for the approximately 42 killed during the protests.
The state of emergency authorizes the army to intervene to maintain order and leads to the suspension of several constitutional rights such as freedom of movement and assembly and the inviolability of the home.
“
Excessive use of force
”
After concluding a mission to Peru, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) warned this weekend of the risks of excessive use of repression against demonstrators and called for an impartial investigation, saying that clues pointed to "
excessive use of force
".
"
We have condemned all acts of violence,
" said Stuardo Ralón, vice-president of the IACHR and rapporteur for Peru.
We are concerned that there may be hotbeds of violence with elements that seek to distort the peaceful nature of the protests.
We reminded the state that wherever it faces violence, it must deal with it lawfully and in a measured way, according to the standards set by the Organization of American States (OAS).
Our biggest concern is that in these mass demonstrations, which are mostly peaceful, there may be acts of violence and that this creates a difficult situation.
In this case, the authority must respond with legality and according to the legal standards of the OAS.
»
The demonstrations could be even more massive.
Multi-day marches are indeed expected to begin from various parts of the country towards Lima, where some of the protesters have already begun to arrive.
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Peru
Dina Boluarte