Peruvian police shooting at protesters in one of hundreds of rallies held across Peru demanding the end of the dictatorship imposed by the Congress since December 7. Photo: Antonio Melgarejo/EFE.
The Peruvian Congress rejected, at the last minute, to reschedule the presidential elections for 2023, in response to the proposal made by Hernando Guerra García, president of the Constitution Commission. Peru’s de facto ruler, Dina Boluarte, called on the Peruvian body to “lay down its partisan and group interests, and place the interests of Peru above all else.”
With 65 votes against, 45 in favor and two abstentions, the proposal made by Hernando Guerra García, president of the Constitution Commission and congressman of the People’s Power, was rejected by the country’s Parliament, as it did not obtain the necessary 87 votes.
Con 45 votos a favor, 65 en contra y 2 abstenciones, el #PlenoDelCongreso no aprobó el texto sustitutorio de los proyectos de ley 1897, 1918, y otros, que proponen establecer el proceso de elecciones generales para el 2023. pic.twitter.com/1KZogEfXim
— Congreso del Perú 🇵🇪 (@congresoperu) January 28, 2023
In particular, the leftist bench rejected the measure, arguing that the new electoral process must include a Constituent Assembly and described the proposal of the Fuerza Popular party (right-wing, Fujimorista) as ” fraudulent.”
“I salute the 65 congresspeople that were aware of this trick and stopped it from deceiving the country. A reconsideration has been presented but we believe that the vote will be ratified,” reported Flavio Cruz, the congressman from the Perú Libre party.
Upon learning of the rejection, the president of Congress, far-right retired General José Williams, announced that a request for reconsideration had been raised that will be debated on January 30, when they will have to vote on the proposal again.
“We urge you to place the interests of Peru above all else”
Meanwhile, Dina Boluarte lamented that the country’s Congress failed to choose the date of the elections.
“We regret that the Congress of the Republic has not been able to agree to define the date of the general elections, when Peruvians will be able to freely and democratically elect new authorities,” Boluarte informed on Twitter.
Lamentamos que el Congreso de la República no haya logrado ponerse de acuerdo para definir la fecha de las elecciones generales donde las peruanas y peruanos puedan elegir libre y democráticamente a las nuevas autoridades (1/2)
— Presidencia del Perú 🇵🇪 (@presidenciaperu) January 28, 2023
The de facto president called on the benches to prioritize the interests of her country, while simultaneously encouraging the use of excessive force to reduce popular anger over the ousting of President Castillo, the dictatorship of Lima’s oligarchy and the general lack of democracy.
“We urge the benches to put down their partisan and group interests and place the interests of Peru above all else. Our citizens await a clear response promptly that will pave a way out of the political crisis and build social peace,” reads a message posted on social media platforms by the Peruvian Presidency.
Exhortamos a las bancadas a deponer sus intereses partidarios y grupales y colocar por encima los intereses del Perú. Nuestras ciudadanas y ciudadanos esperan con prontitud una respuesta clara que permita allanar una salida a la crisis política y construir la paz social (2/2).
— Presidencia del Perú 🇵🇪 (@presidenciaperu) January 28, 2023
The proposal was rejected after Congress approved, with 78 votes, the possible change of date of elections.
Boluarte, then vice president, took office on December 7 after the ousting of Pedro Castillo. New elections were scheduled for 2026, when Castillo, who took office in July 2021, was due to finish his term. Since December 10, citizen protests have started calling for Boluarte’s resignation and early elections for this year. Almost 60 people have lost their lives in clashes between protesters and security forces, according to Peru’s Ombudsman’s Office.
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New victim during protests in Lima
Informacion Center reported the death of another Peruvian, this Saturday, January 28, during protests in Lima in the following terms:
“A body has just collapsed in front of the television cameras of a cable channel. It’s ten minutes to eight p.m, on Abancay avenue, in the center of Lima, and a group of protesters is on the sidewalk, watching the police. They are not throwing stones, bottles or anything. Behind a toxic smoke, is the image of a war scene. Then, a noise is heard and a man falls to the ground. People shout: “Bala, bala, bala,” (bullet) while a pool of blood begins to stain the sidewalk. Instead of reporting the attack, the camera director of Channel N changes the frame, and does not return to the scene.
The only images that are available are those posted on social media platforms by people on the ground. Then you can see how they take Víctor Santisteban Yacsavilca (55 years old) badly injured and unconscious on a stretcher, with a bandage that covers his entire forehead. He had been shot in the head and at close range. It has not yet been made public whether it was a bullet or a pellet, but it struck him down. The volunteer brigades took him to the Grau de El Salud Emergency Hospital. And it was there that a large group of demonstrators settled down, which half an hour later was dispersed by the police with canes.
Around nine p.m, Dr. Antonio Quispe, who held public office in the Ministry of Health and currently coordinates the medical brigades that are providing assistance in the mobilizations, confirmed the death of the protester who was shot in the head on live television: ‘We did what we could but the patient had a severe head injury with exposure of a brain mass. Basically, they blew his brains out,’ he lamented on his Twitter account.”
(Sputnik) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/DD
