View of signs during a protest against the new government of interim President Manuel Merino, following the impeachment and removal of former Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra, at the San Martin square in Lima on November 12, 2020. - Speaker of Congress Manuel Merino assumed office on November 10 as Peru's third president in four years, amid street protests and market jitters after the impeachment of Martin Vizcarra over corruption allegations. (Photo by ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP)
The repression against protesters, committed by Peruvian police this Thursday, November 13, was described as “brutal.” Protests that expressed their rejection of the new President Manuel Merino, and the entire corrupt political establishment, left several people injured, arrested, and disappeared.
Massive protests yesterday in Peru…some of them asking for a new constitutions, some of them screaming "que se vayan todos"…maybe that's why you do not see much on mainstream media…just saying… https://t.co/So0u4eWNUA
— Orinoco Tribune (@OrinocoTribune) November 13, 2020
Citizens used social networks to denounce the “brutal” repression and published videos showing how tear gas was fired from a helicopter. The policemen also shot rubber bullets at people.
“They used cell phone jammers to isolate people. Direct shots to the body. Use of weapons by policemen wearing civilian clothes, detained and missing persons. And Peruvian TV did not show anything,” denounced the Twitter user identified as @MermeladaMagica.
Parece una pesadilla. Lo que vivimos en Chile, ahora está en el Perú. Nuestros pueblos de América, reprimidos. Adoloridos, solo por exigir dignidad https://t.co/sIZdXb6lGH
— Pao Dragnic (@PaolaDragnic) November 13, 2020
The Press and Society Institute (@IPYS), for its part, reported that journalists Alonso Balbuena and Ernesto Benavides were injured while covering the demonstrations.
“The police shoot journalists and protesters at point blank range,” said IPYS in a tweet, assumedly referring to rubber bullets or tear gas canisters.
There is also a video circulating where a police officer infiltrated as a civilian can be seen using his firearm .
AHORA!! En Perú https://t.co/QOtbhReL4k
— Pao Dragnic (@PaolaDragnic) November 13, 2020
In yet another video, a police officer yells at another armed officer shooting his weapon directly at the protesters: “Kill him!”, “Kill him!”
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This Thursday, thousands of Peruvians held marches in various parts of the South American country to express their rejection of the Merino government, which assumed the presidency after Congress removed Martín Vizcarra last Monday. However, many are just rejecting the corrupt political system that has ruled the South American country for several decades.
https://twitter.com/camila_driana/status/1327106613237477376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1327106613237477376%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.laiguana.tv%2Farticulos%2F835237-represion-policial-peru-heridos-detenidos-desaparecidos%2F
Thousands of protesters gathered in Plaza San Martín, the historic center of the capital, Lima, on Thursday evening, with Peruvian flags and posters that read “Merino is not my president,” and attacked the security forces in a violent manner .
The Ombudsman’s Office published a tweet to demand that the police “immediately cease the use of tear gas and pellets against citizens who exercise their right to demonstrate. Excesses can constitute serious crimes.”
Featured image: Photo courtesy of Telesur.
(La IguanaTV) with OT content
Translation: OT/JRE/SL
