A huge fire destroyed one of the oldest buildings in the Peruvian capital, Lima, on Friday, after a night of protests against the new government, at a time when President Dina Poloarte vowed to take a tougher approach against "vandals".
The authorities are investigating the causes that led to the fire in a palace in the center of the capital, nearly a century old, and expressed regret for the loss of "huge assets".
The government denied reports that the fire - which did not result in any injuries - was caused by a tear gas bomb thrown by the police during the violent clashes.
Protests continue to demand the resignation of President Dina Polarte in Peru (Getty Images)
The incident occurred after thousands demonstrated in Lima, at a time when the death toll during the protests rose to 45 and more than 600 injured since last December.
Meanwhile, new clashes broke out in the city of Arequipa between demonstrators and the police, while work was suspended at the main airport in the region yesterday, Thursday, and this week the government extended the state of emergency to 6 other regions in the country.
Bolarte, 60, who was Castillo's vice president, rejected calls to resign and hold early elections, calling instead for dialogue, vowing to punish those involved in the unrest.
The government announced the extension of the state of emergency in several regions of the country (Reuters)
Bolarte, along with senior officials, also faces several investigations regarding the suppression of demonstrations that resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Protests against Polarte erupted after the dismissal of left-wing President Pedro Castillo on December 7 and his arrest on charges of trying to dissolve the legislature to prevent a vote on his impeachment.