A police officer aims and shoots his firearm. Photo: AP.
At least 30 Peruvian demonstrators killed during ongoing protests in Peru were murdered by live ammunition fired by police officers and soldiers. In total, 67 deaths have been reported during months of demonstrations following the ouster and imprisonment of democratically elected President Pedro Castillo in December, 2022. Of these, 49 demonstrators were reportedly killed by police and military gunfire.
By killing demonstrators with live ammunition, officials certainly violated the operating protocols of the Peruvian police, according to which they are prohibited from shooting at protesters except in the case of extreme threats. Likewise, they must protect the lives of civilians at all costs.
“The conservation of life and physical integrity of people, of oneself, and even of lawbreakers is a priority,” reads the Police Manual.
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This data was released after the autopsies were carried out. The autopsies revealed that the victims had been hit with high-caliber weapons, the same ones used by the police and armed forces of Peru.
Last year, the General Command of the National Police issued a resolution establishing the procedures to be followed in the case of operations to control protesters and restore public order. These guidelines consider the use of force as something “exceptional,” only to be resorted to after all other mechanisms have been exhausted.
This is not the first time that reports of this kind have come to light. At the beginning of this year, the human rights NGO Amnesty International presented similar evidence of abuse of force to the acting president of Peru’s coup regime, Dina Boluarte, yet it clearly had no effect on the Peruvian government’s actions.
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On that occasion, Boluarte claimed that “there has never been an order to use lethal weapons.”
The reports presented by the Legal Medicine Institute indicate that the murdered persons also include minors.
Demonstrators continue to demand the release of imprisoned President Pedro Castillo, the drafting of a new Constitution, and the removal of coup regime leader Dina Boluarte.
(RedRadioVE) by Yucsealis Rincón with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KW/SL
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