Peru News and Links

Keiko Fujimori and President Dina Boluarte (La Republica) La Republica: Dina Boluarte is preparing to enact a law that favors those who committed crimes against humanity.   (in Spanish) The deadline for Dina Boluarte to observe a law that favors those who committed crimes against humanity in the 1980s and 1990s expires Thursday. The rule provides for the statute of limitations for crimes committed prior to July 2002, when the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court comes into force. The bill was introduced by neo-Fujimorista Fernando Rospigliosi, along with Jose Cueto, a member of the Renovación Popular party. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Court IDH) has issued provisional measures on this future law, requiring the three branches of the Peruvian State to take necessary actions so that it is not valid. Lawyers for those sentenced and prosecuted for crimes against humanity may request the annulment of convictions or request the annulment of ongoing judicial proce...

Dina Boluarte remains silent during interrogation by the Prosecutor's Office for crimes in protests ( La Republica [Spanish] ) President only replied to a general question from the Prosecutor's Office and avoided new questions. Nor did she answer the 47 questions from the defense of family members and the Attorney General's Office. Dina Boluarte is being investigated for crimes in citizen protests. (photo: The Republic) Wilber Huacasi President Dina Boluarte appeared this morning before the Public Ministry to participate in an expanding investigation into killings by law enforcement during citizen protests earlier this year. However, the interview did not last more than ten minutes because the President decided to avail herself of the right to remain silent. The proceedings started at 9:12 in the morning, with the participation of the Prosecutor of the Nation, Patricia Benavides, and Prosecutor Carlos Huamán. The latter read out two prosecution provisions to expand the inve...

Fiestas Pátrias: Archbishop of Lima and his message at solemn mass: "There are deaths that await justice and reparation" ( La República [Spanish link] ) The highest authority of the Catholic Church in the country ruled on the deaths left by the latest marches against the government of Dina Boluarte. The Archbishop of Lima asked the authorities to deliver justice. (Photo: The Republic) During the Mass and Te Deum on July 28, the Archbishop Carlos Castillo emphasized the deaths that occurred during the demonstrations in the country. The ecclesiastical authority indicated that the families seek justice after months of fighting. “It seems that they did not realize that our people exist, suffer (...) Peru today has not yet seen the light. For this reason, from my mission it is up to me to do, with all due respect, to address the highest authorities of the country to face our mistakes. There are deaths that await justice and reparation," said the Archbishop of Lima. Finall...

Peru: Prime Minister Otárola blames Armed Forces in protests: "I had no competence in the areas that intervened" (Spanish) Prime Minister tells the Prosecutor's Office that "in exclusive operational matters, the one who acts is the Joint Command", pointing to the Armed Forces after the fifty deaths under the management of President Dina Boluarte, whom he also contradicted. Laura Vasquez, La República Avoiding responsibility. The head of the PCM, Alberto Otárola Peñaranda, testified before the National Prosecutor's Office as part of investigations initiated against him and President Dina Boluarte for the alleged crime of genocide after more than fifty deaths in different regions of the country during protests against the current government. In the interview, Otárola evaded his responsibilities for the Ministry of Defense, despite his position as Minister of Defense at the beginning of Boluarte's term and, instead, attributed the consequences to Peru's...

Peru declares Colombian President Gustavo Petro ‘persona non grata’ Colombian President Gustavo Petro Lima, Feb 17 - The Peruvian Congress Friday declared Colombia President Gustavo Petro “persona non grata” in response to his statements comparing the Peruvian National Police (PNP) to “Nazis.” The motion, which asked the government to assure Petro “does not enter the national territory,” received 72 votes in favor, 29 against, and seven abstentions. The motion to embargo the Peruvian president referred to some statements Petro made last week to condemn the extensive deployment of police in the historic center of Lima in response to an anti-government demonstration. “In Peru, (the police) march like Nazis against their own people, breaking the American Convention on Human Rights,” said Petro. He has criticized the Peruvian armed forces for repressing the protests raging in the neighboring country for the past two months. The Colombian president said the convention “does not apply only t...

 Mexico will not hand over Pacific Alliance presidency to Peru's Boluarte "I do not wish that Peruvian President Boluarte's spurious administration assumes this integration mechanism’s pro-tempore presidency": Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico DF, Mexico, Feb. 17, 2023 (photo EFE) On Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) said that he does not intend to hand over the pro-tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance to Peruvian President Dina Boluarte. "I do not will to hand over this integration mechanism’s presidency to a spurious administration. I do not want to legitimize a coup against freedoms and human rights," AMLO stated. He explained that he will ask the Secretariat for Foreign Affairs (SRE) to notify the Rio Group, a regional permanent consultation mechanism, of his stance. "The Rio Group will have the final decision on this. If it decides I should hand over the pre...

Amnesty accuses Peruvian authorities of ‘marked racist bias’ in protest crackdown (full article) By Tara John and Claudia Rebaza, CNN Relatives and friends of victims of recent clashes with the Peruvian police -- within protests against President Dina Boluarte -- carry pictures of their loved ones during a march commemorating one month of their death on February 9, 2023, in Juliaca, Puno region. Amnesty International has accused Peruvian authorities of acting with “a marked racist bias” in its crackdown on protests that have roiled the country since December, saying “populations that have historically been discriminated against” are being targeted, according to a report released on Thursday . Drawing on data from the Peruvian Ombudsman’s Office, Amnesty says it “found that the number of possible arbitrary deaths due to state repression” were “disproportionately concentrated in regions with largely Indigenous populations.” Amnesty also says that areas with majority indigenous population...

Peru's president calls for multiparty dialogue to end crisis Peruvian President Dina Boluarte called on all political parties as well as social and labor organizations to join in a national dialogue to find a resolution to a months-long political crisis Peruvian President Dina Boluarte Lima (AFP) – Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Friday called for a multiparty dialogue to help resolve her country's political crisis, saying two months of sometimes deadly anti-government protests had left the nation a "fragile democracy." Boluarte became President on December 7, after her predecessor Pedro Castillo was impeached and arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree. But since that day she has faced calls to resign by protesters also demanding fresh elections. Demonstrations have at times turned violent and officials on Friday announced a new death, bringing the total number of people killed in clashes between security forces and protesters to forty-n...

Arequipa: four tons of humanitarian aid sent to victims of mudslides in Camaná (Spanish) President Dina Boluarte supervises part of the transfer of aid for the victims of the mudslides in Camaná, Arequipa region. Peru's Air Force transfers non-perishable food, tents, and medicines to Secocha (Dany Chirme) Peru's Armed Forces transferred 4.5 tons of humanitarian aid to Secocha, in the Province of Camaná, Department of Arequipa. The cargo arrived in the city of Arequipa and was immediately transferred via airlift to the area affected by the mudslides. Several massive mudslides (huaicos) in Camaná have left more than a dozen people dead and missing. The mud devastated Secocha, Miski, Pampaylima, San Miguel, Infiernillo and Venado de Oro; all mining towns located in the ravine called Saca de Posco and which flows into the Ocoña River. President Dina Boluarte Zegarra accompanied the sending of support. The Head of State together with a delegation of national and regional authorities...

Peru: head of the Technical Office of the Presidency Raúl Molina  Martínez  resigns (Spanish) "Madam President, listen to our people, to the vast majority who are asking for changes," Molina Martínez wrote in his resignation letter. Diego Alva Raúl Molina Martínez submitted his resignation as head of the Technical Office of the Presidency of the Republic, a position he had held since December 22, 2022. In a letter sent to President Dina Boluarte, he urged her to listen to the population who calls for changes and to respond to them "as head of state, rather than as head of government". In the document dated February 1, 2023, Molina Martínez points out that to adopt a position of dialogue, political gestures are needed that overcome differences and rebuild the trust that the population has towards the Executive. He adds that this becomes more difficult to achieve with the number of protester deaths in ongoing demonstrations and that responsibility has not yet been att...

Peru's embattled president could have eased the crisis. What happened? (full article) (CNN) When Dina Boluarte was anointed Peru's sixth president in five years, she faced battles on two fronts: appeasing the lawmakers who had ousted her boss and predecessor Pedro Castillo and calming protesters enraged by the dethroning of yet another president. She called for a "political truce" with Congress on her first day of her job — a peace offering to the legislative body that had been at odds with Castillo and impeached him in December after he undemocratically attempted to dissolve Congress. But nearly two months on, her presidency is looking even more beleaguered than Castillo's aborted term. Several ministers in her government have resigned while the country has been rocked by its most violent protests in decades. She was forced to once again call for a truce on Tuesday -- this time appealing to the protesters, many of whom hail from Peru's majority-in...

Group of Peruvian lawmakers submits motion seeking to impeach new president (full article) Peru's President Dina Boluarte speaks as she meets with foreign press, in Lima, Peru January 24, 2023 ( Angela Ponce/File Photo) LIMA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A group of Peruvian lawmakers on Wednesday submitted a motion seeking to impeach President Dina Boluarte after a little over a month in power citing "permanent moral incapacity". The bid to remove Boluarte comes during violent protests following the impeachment and arrest last month of her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, in which dozens of people have been killed. The motion, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, was signed by twenty-eight leftist members of congress who support Castillo. A minimum of 20%, or twenty-six signatures, was required to file the motion. The motion must now be approved by fifty-two votes before it can be debated in Congress where it must win two-thirds of the chamber's support. (more) Tags: #Peru #Din...

Dina Boluarte wanted to resign after the first protest deaths, but Otárola convinced her to stay (Spanish) Sources close to President Dina Boluarte indicated that she wanted to resign twice after the first deaths that were registered during the protests of December 2022. Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency on December 7, 2022. Photo: John Reyes/La República The President of the Republic, Dina Boluarte Zegarra, tried to resign from the position she holds today on two occasions. She thus made herself known in a note published this Sunday in La República. This occurred after the first deaths that occurred during the demonstrations in December 2022 were recorded, which called for her departure from the Executive, as well as the advancement of general elections. According to sources close to the head of state, the initiative of Boluarte Zegarra was prevented by the President of the Council of Ministers, Alberto Otárola Peñaranda. The Prime Minister would have convinced her not to leave her...

Boluarte: "Mobs have said that rivers of blood will flow, we don't want it" (Spanish) Dina Boluarte denounces radicals that are planning a violent coup in Lima. President Dina Boluarte warned about a violent plan behind the Great March of the Four of theirs scheduled in Lima for January 18 and 19 by various unions and local and regional organizations, which are already traveling for the demonstration, according to information from the Executive. During the opening ceremony of the jurisdictional year of the Constitutional Court (TC), the President said she knew that "they want to take Lima" from Wednesday. For this reason, she asked that the event take place in a climate of peace and without confrontations with the National Police (PNP). “We don't want any more blood. They have said that rivers of blood will flow, we do not want it. Enough, calm down, we know they want to take Lima, because of everything that is happening, on the 18th and 19th. I call on them...

Andahuaylas community members arrive in Lima to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte (Spanish) Thousands greeted the caravan with tears and applause. Along the way, other residents joined the Apurímac delegation. Meanwhile, detainees in Cusco have been released. They denounced that they were attacked at the police station. Heading to Lima: the mostly indigenous population left Andahuaylas in defense of their demands. They are a part of the 128 indigenous communities in Andahuaylas Photo: diffusion Elizabeth Prado In a caravan made up of dozens of vehicles, thousands of community members from the Apurimac Province of Andahuaylas left last Sunday for Lima in defense of their platform of struggle: the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, the closure of Congress, general elections this 2023 and constituent assembly. Before leaving, they met at the Andahuaylas fairground to say goodbye to their land. Some leaders spoke in Quechua and Spanish. They said that they were going t...

Boluarte’s Government Suspends Constitutional Rights in Peru (full article) At a time when Peruvian social organizations keep calling for demonstrations against police repression, the Government of President-designate Dina Boluarte decreed this Saturday a state of emergency in Lima, Callao, Puno, and Cusco, which will suspend several constitutional rights. The decree, published in the official gazette close to midnight on Saturday, authorizes the military forces to intervene together with the Police to "safeguard" public order. Peru has been experiencing a series of social protests since last December 7, when the Congress dismissed President Pedro Castillo, who is in prison on charges of rebellion, and appointed in his place Boluarte, who was serving as the country's Vice-President. The social mobilizations, demanding the resignation of Boluarte, the closing of Congress, a constitutional assembly, and the release of Castillo, have been strongly repressed by the police for...

Peru’s violent unrest shows no signs of stopping (full article) Protests after the arrest of former President Pedro Castillo emphasize Peru’s deep stratification. Ellen Ioanes Protests in Peru related to the arrest of former President Pedro Castillo have become increasingly violent, leading to many deaths, and show no real signs of abating. Despite the unprecedented political violence and calls for her resignation, Castillo’s successor and former Vice President, President Dina Boluarte, refused on Sunday to step down, saying, “My commitment is with Peru.” In the just-over a month since the protests began, 49 people, including children and police officers have been killed, the Associated Press reported Friday. Demonstrations are concentrated in Peru’s southern Andean area, particularly in the region of Puno, Peru’s poorest and which has the highest Indigenous concentration, and in the cities of Ayacucho and Arequipa, among others, though they have also occurred in the capital Lima as re...

Peru: Boluarte rejects calls for resignation amid protests (full article) President Dina Boluarte also apologized for ongoing political unrest that has left dozens of people dead, as Peru's attorney general announced a probe into the deaths. Peruvian President Dina Boluarte said in a televised address Friday night that she regretted the deaths of protesters and apologized for the continued political unrest that has shaken Peru for weeks. However, the newcomer president insisted that she will not resign. "My commitment is to Peru," she said, blaming "violent and radical factions" for "provoking the population into chaos." Her first public statement since Monday comes after another day of protests and roadblocks across Peru. More than 40 people have been killed in anti-government protests that swept the country since she took power in early December. (more)  

More governors and professional associations demand Dina Boluarte's resignation (Spanish) Uncertainty follows. More and more voices are joining the demand for new general elections, for which they are asking President Boluarte to resign immediately. Meanwhile, Eduardo García resigned from the Ministry of Labor due to the deaths. In other regions the protests do not stop, as in the streets of Lima. Thousands of protesters walked the streets of Lima demanding the resignation of Boluarte, rejecting Congress, and calling for elections in 2023. Photo: Antonio Melgarejo/La República Henry Cotos “How many more deaths will Dina Boluarte 's remaining in the presidency cost? That is what all Peruvians, left or right, should ask ourselves. No position can be above human life.” This was the statement of Puno's Regional Governor of Puno Richard Hancco, who added that the forty-seven deaths have opened a deep wound in the interior of the country and the situation is irreconcilable: the o...

Regional Councils of Puno and Cusco demand resignation of President Dina Boluarte (Spanish) Today, the Regional Councils of Puno and Cusco demanded the resignation of President Dina Boluarte due to the political crisis facing the country and for causing forty-five deaths and more than one hundred injuries during her first month of government. In the case of the Councilors of Cusco, they demand the immediate resignation of President Dina Boluarte Zegarra, the self-dissolution of Congress and the call for general elections in 2023 with the installation of a permanent commission to sustain governability in the country. They also ask that the Peruvian population be consulted, through a referendum, to call a Constituent Assembly that provides the country with a new Magna Carta, whose result are respected. In the case of the Puno Regional Council, it approved an agreement demanding the immediate resignation of Mrs. Dina Boluarte from the presidency of the Republic, declaring the President pe...