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At least 17 people have been killed in anti-government protests near Juliaca airport in southern Peru. Monday’s violence was the deadliest day in ongoing protests near the airport, which have left at least 46 people dead. Protesters called for the closure of Peru’s Congress and the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.Photo by Jose Sotomayor/EPA-EFE/
January 10 (United Press International) — Security forces in Peru have killed at least 17 more protesters since the arrest last month of former President Pedro Castillo, in the deadliest day in the country.
Newest anti-government violence Clashes broke out between protesters and security forces near the airport in Juliaca, in the southern Puno region, on Monday. Protesters called for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and for the release of Castillo, who had pledged to tackle poverty and inequality in the country, from prison.
Peru’s Interior Minister Victor Rojas said Monday’s demonstrations started peacefully but turned violent when some 9,000 protesters tried to take control of the airport. He said the security forces acted legally to protect themselves.
“What happened yesterday was truly a massacre,” countered Jeanne Dadore, executive secretary of Peru’s national human rights coordinator, who blamed the deaths on security forces. “These were extrajudicial killings.”
Anti-government violence on Monday killed at least 46 people as Peru accused foreign interests of fueling the conflict, ban bolivian ex-president Evo Morales from entering the country. Morales condemned Castillo’s arrest as illegal.
Peru’s new government, led by Boluarte, accused Morales and eight other Bolivians of political activity that violated the country’s immigration laws.
Other leftist governments including Mexico, Argentina and Colombia have also called for Castillo’s release.last month, peru expulsion of the mexican ambassador After the country granted asylum to the family of the ousted president.
“After expelling the Mexican ambassador to defend the lives of the president and his family, the Peruvian right bans us from that sister country because we talk about the constitutional convention and ask them to stop the genocide of our indigenous brothers,” Morales Tweet Monday.
Although Boluarte refused repeated calls for resignationEducation Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Perez announced their resignations last month, citing the rising death toll.
Castillo, 53, was impeached and arrested on Dec. 7, hours after he tried to dissolve Peru’s Congress, sparking deadly nationwide protests. Peru’s armed forces called Castillo’s effort to dissolve Congress an attempted coup that violated the country’s constitution.
Castillo, who initially took office in June 2021, insisted he had not “committed conspiracy or insurrection”. Castillo’s vice president, Boluarte, was sworn in after Castillo’s impeachment.
Protesters demanded that Boluarte’s government shut down parliament and call early the next general election.
On Monday, Boluarte reiterated that she would not cooperate with protesters’ demands to step down.
“The only thing on my hands is early elections, which we have brought up,” Boluarte said. “In times of peace, anything is possible, but in times of violence and chaos, it’s much more difficult.”
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