Peru authorities have confirmed the deaths of two teenagers during the ongoing protests demanding new elections following the impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo and the appointment of former Vice President, Dina Boluarte.
The deaths reported on Sunday came as more Peruvians joined the protests against Castillo’s impeachment; spreading the resistance of Boluarte’s presidency to northern and Andean towns of the country.
What’s more
Dina Boluarte, who was sworn in on Wednesday until 2026, when the presidency of her impeached predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was due to end, responded to the protest calls by asking Congress to bring forward the country’s general elections to April 2024.
State of play
According to reports by AP, Police officers and protesters clashed in Lima with the former releasing tear gas to disperse the crowd. The protesters are demanding the release of former president Pedro Castillo, who was arrested for rebellion after his failed attempt to dissolve Congress ahead of his impeachment vote.
- The Andahuaylas airport in the southern part of Peru was closed due to the enraging protest which started on Saturday afternoon, in which Peruvian authorities reported fires and other vandalism.
The big picture
The demands for new elections by protesters are on the premise that recent polls show that about nine in 10 Peruvians disapprove of the nation’s legislature. Peru is currently on its sixth president since 2016.
Peru, a country of over 33 million people, is experiencing a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections, having recorded about 4.3 million cases and 217,000 deaths since the pandemic began.