Peru declares state of emergency as political crisis deepens amid protests

Peru has declared a state of emergency as protests rock parts of the country following the impeachment of Pedro Castillo as president.

Earlier in December, Castillo was removed after making a last-ditch bid to cling to power.

The former president said he would shut down the opposition-controlled congress, launch a “government of exception”, and call for new legislative elections.

Castillo attempted to dissolve congress hours before it was scheduled to begin the third round of impeachment proceedings against him since he took office in July 2021, but he was unsuccessful.

Shortly after his impeachment, he was arrested.

Dina Boluarte, Castillo’s vice, was sworn in, making her Peru’s first female president.

However, her election as Peru’s president has been rejected by many of Catillo’s loyalists as protests have rocked the nation for days, with demonstrators calling for Boluarte’s resignation.

Supporters of the former president have converged on police precincts, news media headquarters, and an international airport in the southern city of Arequipa. Highways have been blocked, including stretches of the Pan-American highway, Al Jazeera reports.

So far, seven deaths have been recorded.

In a live television address on Wednesday, Boluarte announced a state of emergency in “high conflict” regions in the country’s south.

She also said she would submit legislation to congress to hold the general election in 2024 instead of 2026.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Peru government urged protesters to adopt dialogue.

“We call on civil society to engage in permanent political dialogue with public authorities through democratic spaces in order to reach agreements that allow for the recovery of tranquility, social peace and trust in the State,” the statement reads.

“We regret the loss of human lives that occurred in Apurimac and Arequipa as a consequence of the Violent acts, expressing our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.”

Currently, Castillo faces charges of rebellion and conspiracy.

However, in a statement on Monday, the former president said he was innocent of all accusations and would not relent in his fight for “justice”.

He thanked his supporters and asked them not to fall for Boluarte’s appeal of early elections, a move he described as a “dirty game”.

“I speak to you in the most difficult moment of my government humiliated, incommunicado, mistreated and kidnapped, but still clothed with your trust and struggle, with the majesty of the sovereign people, but also infused with the glorious spirit of our ancestors,” Castillo said.

“I speak to you to reiterate that I am unconditionally faithful to the popular and constitutional mandate I ostentatiously hold as president, and I will not resign or abandon my high and sacred functions.

“What was said recently by a usurper is nothing more than the same snot and drool of the coup right. Therefore, the people should not fall for their dirty game of new elections.

“Enough of abuse! Constituent Assembly now! Immediate freedom!”

Querido pueblo peruano grandioso y paciente: Yo, @PedroCastilloTe, el mismo que hace 16 meses me eligieron todos ustedes, para ejercer como presidente constitucional de la República. Les hablo en el trance más difícil de mi gobierno… (1/4)

— Pedro Castillo Terrones (@PedroCastilloTe) December 12, 2022

Peru, a country not new to political upheavals, is witnessing its sixth president in six years.