Protesters in Peru demand Boluarte's resignation. Photo: Twitter/@cgt_peru
On Thursday, February 9, a new wave of police violence in Peru’s Juliaca and Apurimac regions led to the death of one person while dozens were injured. Among the victims are two children aged 11 and 15 years who suffered gunshot wounds. In addition, dozens of protesters were detained by the police.
Peruvian human rights organizations have denounced the government of de facto President Dina Boluarte for “widespread and extremely serious repression.”
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The death of Denilson Huaraca Vilchez, protester injured on Thursday in Aymaraes province of the department of Apurimac, was confirmed on the morning of Friday, February 10.
🔴 Se confirma la muerte de Denilson Huaraca Vilchez, manifestante herido ayer en Aymaraes, Apurímac. Ministerio Público adelanta las diligencias para establecer la causa de la muerte.
— Epicentro.TV (@Epicentro_TV) February 10, 2023
Meanwhile, in the city of Juliaca, demonstrators in the vicinity of the Inca Manco Capac airport were dispersed by the police with tear gas, leaving 23 people injured, according to local health institutions.
Through a press release, the Peruvian Ombudsperson’s Office reported that the confrontation occurred outside the airport when the demonstrators were trying to enter the zone.
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Boluarte presents government’s progress report
While the streets of Peru burn and hundreds of demonstrators demand early elections, a constituent assembly, and justice for those who have been killed by state violence during the protests, de facto President Dina Boluarte presented report of the progress made by her government.
“Regarding the issue of social peace, we have not stopped for a single day, from December 7 to date,” she said. “We have been in constant meetings with various sectors of our citizenship, all in order to put on the table the agenda of peace and dialogue for the development of the country.”
🔴 Presidenta Dina Boluarte: "En cuanto al tema de la paz social, no nos hemos detenido. Hemos tenido reuniones constantes con diversos sectores de nuestra ciudadanía, entre gobernadores, alcaldes, provinciales y distritales, gremios empresariales y de trabajadores". pic.twitter.com/E2HovQQUph
— TVPerú Noticias (@noticias_tvperu) February 10, 2023
Boluarte also asserted that she will not resign until her successor is elected. However, the Peruvian Congress has rejected four requests of early elections, including one from the Boluarte government.
The last two proposals set October and December as the date for the elections, but were discarded.
Since the beginning of the protests after Pedro Castillo was removed from the presidency by Congress on December 7, 2022, over 70 Peruvians have lost their lives in protests, as a result of repression by security forces.
(RedRadioVE) by Malena Bravo
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/AF
