Giant parade in a Peru under a state of emergency.
Thousands of people, especially from the Andes, demonstrated to demand the resignation of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte Thursday, January 19 in Lima during a large rally interspersed with small scuffles, while the authorities deployed nearly 12,000 police.
The day was bereaved by the announcement of the death in the morning of a new demonstrator, injured the day before in clashes in the south.
This brings to 44 (43 demonstrators, one policeman) the number of people who have lost their lives since the start of the crisis on December 7.
"The police are on high alert. We have 11,800 police on the streets for riot control. We have more than 120 vans and 49 military vehicles and also the participation of the armed forces," General Victor Zanabria said. , the police chief of the Lima region.
Small scuffles occurred around 5 p.m. local (2200 GMT) Avenida Abancay in the city center between protesters who threw stones, and police who responded with tear gas, noted AFP journalists .
"We are here to fight for a just cause. We want the dissolution of Parliament. We are marginalized, they say that we are vandals, terrorists. We are here to claim our rights", explains Ayda Aroni, arrival from the region of 'Ayacucho (south), in the central square of 2 de mayo.
Dressed in the traditional way, with a black hat, a white shirt, a red skirt, carrying a motley bag, she waves a Peruvian flag whose red stripes have been replaced by black as a sign of mourning for the dead protesters.
"Take Lima"
Protesters calling for new elections in Peru hoped to "take Lima" and strike a chord.
Several statues and monuments in the center of the capital were already wrapped in plastic sheeting to protect them from possible damage.
On Thursday, the authorities closed Arequipa airport (south) as a "security measure", clashes having taken place between police, who used tear gas, and demonstrators, some of whom were throwing stones.
The airport in Cusco, the country's tourist capital, was also closed.
The unrest in Peru erupted after the dismissal and arrest on December 7 of left-wing President Pedro Castillo, accused of having tried to carry out a coup d'etat in order to dissolve the Parliament which was preparing to oust him from power.
The crisis is also a reflection of the huge gap between the capital and the poor provinces that supported President Castillo, of Amerindian origin, and saw his election as revenge for Lima's contempt.
Dina Boluarte, who was Pedro Castillo's vice-president, succeeded him in accordance with the Constitution.
She comes from the same party as him but the demonstrators see her as a "traitor".
With AFP
The summary of the
France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 app