Protests have erupted across South American country Peru since former President Pedro Castillo was deposed last week, with demonstrators blocking roads and paralyzing the traffic and economy in Arequipa, Peru’s second-largest city. Flights to and from Cusco, Peru’s tourism capital, have been canceled.
An officer on patrol was attacked and burned to death by protesters in the Peruvian region of Puno, authorities said Tuesday, bringing the death toll from demonstrations following the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo to forty-seven.
Violent protests continue to rock the Southern regions of Peru. The government has ordered a three-day curfew in the Southern Puno department as of Jan 10. Conflicts in the city of Juliaca have left 18 people dead. Take a look:pic.twitter.com/BFA7YGzXNT
— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) January 11, 2023
According to police reports, on Monday night, José Luis Soncco Quispe, 29, was on patrol with another officer in Juliaca, a city near Bolivia and Lake Titicaca, when they were attacked by a mob that later set fire to their vehicle.
Soncco’s partner in the patrol car, Ronald Villasante Toque, said they were “detained and physically attacked by some 350 protesters,” according to the reports. Villasante was beaten and taken to a hospital in Lima with multiple head injuries.
When police arrived on the scene, he said that they discovered that one officer had been tied up and beaten, and the other, Luis Soncco Quispe, had tragically been burned alive in his patrol car and died.
The Peruvian attorney and current Prime Minister, Luis Alberto Otárola Pear Anda, has declared a three-day curfew in Puno from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., as well as a day of mourning for the fallen-on Wednesday.
The former president was forced out after attempting to temporarily suspend Congress in order to avoid impeachment for “moral incapacity,” a charge stemming from multiple allegations of corruption. He declared an emergency state of emergency and called for new legislative elections.
Massive anti-gov't protests continue in southern Peru. Protestors demand the release of former leftist Pres. Pedro Castillo from jail. This comes after 17 protestors were killed during clashes with the police in the city of Juliaca on Monday. Take a look:pic.twitter.com/y8W0w1iVcS
— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) January 13, 2023
Castillo’s illegal attempt to take over the country, however, collapsed within hours. His best ministers immediately deserted him, condemning the coup, and political allies, the armed forces, the police, and even his lawyer followed suit.
Castillo attempted to seek asylum in the Mexican embassy, but his own security diverted his car to a police station, where he was charged with “rebellion”. Meanwhile, Congress bypassed the debate and went straight to impeachment, voting unanimously to remove him.
Peru’s PM and cabinet members were met in Congress with protests by opposition lawmakers after 17 people were killed during anti-gov't demonstrations.
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 11, 2023
The attorney general has announced an investigation into accusations of genocide and murder.
🔗: https://t.co/x50m6MZLm7 pic.twitter.com/113wwdgtHo
Dina Boluarte, Castillo’s vice president, was sworn in as his replacement, while Castillo was transferred to Barbadillo prison on the outskirts of Lima, which also houses another former president, 84-year-old Alberto Fujimori.
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