Thousands of people, mainly from poor regions of the Andes, demonstrated to demand the resignation of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Thursday January 19 in the center of Lima, where violent clashes broke out between protesters and police.
The clashes left two more dead in the South.
In Arequipa, Peru's second city, violent clashes around the airport left one dead - a man in his thirties - and ten injured, according to the office of the People's Ombudsman.
45 dead since the start of the crisis
A little earlier, the office had announced the death of another man, injured the day before in clashes in Macusani, near Puno (south) on the Bolivian border.
A total of 45 people, including a police officer, have lost their lives in the unrest in Peru since the crisis began on December 7.
In Lima, a large part of the demonstrators marched calmly.
“
Dina murders
”, “
Dina listens to the people repudiates you
”, they notably chanted.
Read alsoFormer president in prison, demonstrations, genocide investigation …: why is Peru on fire?
But for two hours in the city center, demonstrators threw stones, cobblestones and bottles at the police, or beat their shields and helmets with sticks.
In several points in the city center, the police retreated under pressure before retaking their position, and made extensive use of tear gas.
An AFP journalist saw at least two people injured and witnessed several arrests.
Interior Minister Vicente Romero reported 16 police officers injured in the country, without differentiating between Lima and the province.
A building near Plaza San Martin, the epicenter of the protests in Lima, caught fire for causes still unknown shortly before 8:00 p.m. local time (01:00 GMT).
Some 11,800 police officers had been mobilized for this crucial day, according to the authorities.
“Fighting for a just cause”
“
We are here to fight for a just cause.
We want the dissolution of Parliament.
They marginalize us, they say we are vandals, terrorists.
We are here to claim our rights
, ”explained Ayda Aroni, who arrived from the Ayacucho region (south), in traditional dress and brandishing a Peruvian flag whose red stripes had been replaced by black as a sign of mourning.
"Take Lima"
The protesters, who are calling for new elections in Peru, intended to "
take Lima
" and strike the spirits.
“
I am in Lima to defend the country because there is too much corruption.
Dina does not represent us.
We will stay a week to continue the demonstrations
, ”assured Demetrio Jimenez, who came from Puno, near the Bolivian border, in the evening.
Demonstrators tried to take the airports of Puno and Cuzco, the tourist capital of the country, which were temporarily closed.
Threats and suspicions of the president
In the evening, the president, surrounded by the entire government team, once again called for calm on television.
"
To the Peruvian people, to those who want to work in peace (...) and to those who protest: I will never tire of calling them to good dialogue, telling them that the country needs solutions for water, health, education, agriculture, livestock, more bridges, more roads...
" But she also threatened those "
who generate acts of violence
", promising that the security services will act "
firmly
”.
She wondered about “
who finances?
the demonstrations and assured that the simultaneous attack on the three airports (Cuzco, Arequipa, Puno) "
could not be a mere coincidence
".
In recent days, the authorities have repeatedly accused the protesters of being "
manipulated
" and financed by drug trafficking and/or illegal mining.
Emergency state
The government declared a 30-day state of emergency in Lima, Cuzco, Callao and Puno on Sunday, which allows the army to intervene to maintain order and suspends freedom of assembly and movement.
On Thursday, the state of emergency was extended to three other departments: Amazonia (east), Libertad (north) and Tacna (south).
The unrest in Peru erupted after the dismissal and arrest on December 7 of leftist President Pedro Castillo, accused of having attempted a coup d'etat in order to dissolve the Parliament which was preparing to oust him from power.
The crisis is also a reflection of the huge gap between the capital and the poor provinces that supported President Castillo, of Amerindian origin, and saw his election as revenge for Lima's contempt.
Dina Boluarte, who was Mr. Castillo's vice-president, succeeded him in accordance with the Constitution.
She comes from the same party as him but the demonstrators see her as a "
traitor
".
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