A state of emergency has been declared in Peru

A state of emergency has been declared across Peru, the government announced Wednesday, as it wants an “official” response to the violence that has already killed seven people and injured more than 200, but is proposing to call for general elections this time. December 2023.

At the judicial level, deposed President Pedro Castillo hoped to be released from prison on Wednesday. “A state of emergency has been declared for thirty days throughout the country (…) We need a dynamic response with authority in the face of violence,” said Defense Minister Alberto Otterola, stressing that the measure “includes suspending freedom of movement.” and Assembly” with “Media Law Possible”. “The police will control the entire area with the support of the armed forces,” he said, adding that the emergency law specifically allows the military to intervene in maintaining order.

The government had already declared a state of emergency in several provinces on Monday and later extended it on Tuesday.

New offers in the election calendar

Overwhelmed by ongoing protests, the force is trying to get out of a crisis that blows hot and cold.

At the same time, President Tina Polvard — who was Castillo’s vice president after a failed attempt to dissolve parliament — announced she wanted to bring the election calendar back to the fore. “Before this date, it will not work legally. We have to stay within the legal framework,” he said, adding that the government, parliament and the electoral system were “adjusting” to “advance the elections to December 2023”.

Crystalizing part of the discontent in her person, Tina Poluarte already promised on Sunday not to stop the protests, but to bring them forward from 2026 to April 2024. He has been affected by the move: his mandate theoretically runs until 2026, with Pedro Castillo elected to a five-year term in 2021. In addition to Pedro Castillo’s release, Wednesday’s protests called for the resignation of the president — from the same far-left party as him — and the dissolution of parliament.

read more: Peru faces the “moral impotence” of elites

Demonstrations were strong on Wednesday, with several roads blocked, according to local television footage. Police counted 14 rallies in 24 regions of the country on Tuesday evening. The southern part of the country, especially the tourist area of ​​Cusco, and the northern part are the areas most affected by the protests.

Tourists stranded at Machu Picchu

Peru’s rail operator announced that a train linking Cusco and the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, Peru’s tourist gem, had been suspended since Tuesday, while police fired tear gas. Many tourists are stranded at the site, says Machu Picchu Mayor Darwin Baca, who is asking for help to evacuate them.

Cuzco airports but also the airports of Juliaca (south) and Puno, near Bolivia, were closed on Wednesday as a “precaution”. In Arequipa, the country’s second-largest city, the military secured the airport and public buildings to prevent possible attacks. In Lima, as in the past few days, there were clashes between police and demonstrators near the parliament on Tuesday evening.

“I’ll Never Give Up”

The former president remains in prison at his barracks east of the capital. Judge Juan Segli, who was due to rule Wednesday on a request for an 18-month detention filed by the prosecution overnight, granted a deadline to the defense, which assured it did not have all the necessary documents. But he kept the President in custody for another 48 hours.

The Supreme Court on December 7 ordered Pedro Castillo to be remanded in custody for seven days. It was due to be released on Wednesday at 1:42pm local time (7:42pm in Switzerland). The former president, who had vowed “I will never give up” during an earlier hearing, had called on his supporters to welcome him on his release from prison. “Enough is enough! The outrage, humiliation and ill-treatment continue. Today, again 18 months of deprivation of my freedom. I am asking the IACHR (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights) to intercede for my rights and the rights of my Peruvian brothers and sisters seeking justice,” he said on his official Twitter account. Wrote the account. “Judges and prosecutors, I hold you responsible for what is happening in the country. “Only people save people,” he concludes.

Hundreds of people were chanting slogans in front of the barracks where he is being held in Ade. “We will stay here until our president comes out and returns to his presidential chair in the palace,” assured Roxana Figueroa, 59, a social worker.

On December 7, Pedro Castillo, 53, ordered the dissolution of parliament shortly after a large majority voted for his impeachment due to “moral incapacity”. He tried to seek refuge in the Mexican consulate before being arrested.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *