At least two people have been killed in Peru after police clashed with protesters demanding new elections and the release of jailed former president Pedro Castillo. Sunday’s deaths came as protests against Castillo’s impeachment and arrest spread across Peru, mostly in northern and Andean cities. It was preceded by an announcement by President Dina Bolluarte, the country’s vice president who was quickly sworn in to replace Castillo last week. “I have decided to introduce a bill to reach an agreement with Congress to advance the general election to April 2024,” Boluarte said in a speech to the nation early Monday, adding that she would introduce the legislation in the “next days.” Castillo, a former school teacher and trade unionist, was removed from his seat by lawmakers on Wednesday after he tried to dissolve Congress before the impeachment vote. The former president was arrested shortly after, with prosecutors charging him with sedition and conspiracy. Protests quickly broke out across the country, with many supporters of the jailed former leader demanding that Peru hold elections rather than allow Boluarte to remain in power until Castillo’s term ends in 2026. Some protesters also called for Congress to be closed. It was not immediately clear whether Boluarte’s announcement would quell the unrest. On Sunday, protests were reported in cities across the interior of Peru, including Cajamarca, Arequipa, Huancayo, Cusco and Puno. In Andahuaylas in the Apurimac region, clashes broke out as protesters tried to storm the southern city’s airport, authorities said. Protesters threw slingshots and threw stones, while police responded with tear gas, according to images from the scene broadcast by local television. A protester holds a Bible in front of police officers during protests demanding new presidential elections after Castillo’s ouster [Gerardo Marin/ Reuters] Eliana Revollar, head of Peru’s Ombudsman’s office, told a radio station that a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old died during the clashes “probably as a result of gunshot wounds.” Baltazar Lantaron, governor of the Apurimac region, told local TV station Canal N that “four injuries are reported, who are being treated at the health center, three of them [with wounds] on the scalp, with multiple injuries.” Hundreds of people also demonstrated at the legislative building in Peru’s capital, Lima, where police used tear gas to disperse the crowds. Inside the palace, Congress had convened in emergency session to discuss the crisis, but had to adjourn after physical altercations. In images posted on social media, a man can be seen punching another man from behind and the members pushing each other in the center of the hall. Prime Minister Pedro Angulo said Boluarte’s new cabinet was also meeting Sunday night to assess the civil unrest and determine how to respond. Meanwhile, farming unions and organizations representing indigenous peoples have called for an “indefinite strike” starting Tuesday in support of Castillo, himself the son of a farming family. The statement of the Agrarian and Peasant Front of Peru demanded the immediate release of Castillo as well as the suspension of Congress, early elections and a new constitution. Calls for new elections come as recent polls show nearly nine in 10 Peruvians disapprove of the nation’s legislature. Peru is now the sixth president since 2016. The country’s power struggle has continued as the Andean region and its thousands of small farms struggle to survive the worst drought in half a century. The country of more than 33 million people is also experiencing a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections, having recorded around 4.3 million cases and 217,000 deaths since the pandemic began.
