Peru’s ombudsman confirmed Monday, December 12, that the death toll rose to seven in just over 24 hours of clashes between police and demonstrators demanding the resignation of the country’s new president, Dina Boluarte, and the shutdown of Congress.
“It has been two very unfortunate days with a balance of seven people killed (…) two of them minors and all of them from firearm projectiles”, said in an interview for the broadcaster “Epicentro TV” the holder of the office of the Advocate of To the people, Eliana Revollar. .
The most violent confrontations occur in the south of the country, especially in the departments of Apurímac and Arequipa.
The Regional Directorate of Health in Apurímac stated that a 16-year-old died at noon on Monday after receiving a bullet wound following a protest in Chincheros, in the department of Apurímac.
During the afternoon, the subject confirmed that two more 18-year-olds had died.
To these three victims registered in the last hours, another young man who died this morning in Chincheros, one killed in the protests in the second largest city of the country, Arequipa, and two others who died on Sunday afternoon in Andahuaylas.
Also, Revollar confirmed that there were 32 civilians injured, in addition to 24 policemen, and stated that “the situation is very tense in the country”.
“We demand the investigation of these cases, which are really useless deaths, because if decisions were made in time, this situation would not have to happen”, said Revollar, adding that a political solution is needed.
“We hope that this cabinet will be able to face this sad moment and hold the early elections that the population wants,” he added.
The Peruvian government on Monday declared a state of emergency for 60 days in seven provinces in the southern department of Apurímac, the epicenter of protests demanding the ouster of President Dina Boluarte.
In this way, the Executive seeks to maintain “internal order” in the provinces of Abancay, Andahuaylas, Chincheros, Grau, Cotabambas, Antabamba and Aymaraes with the joint work of the Peruvian National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces, according to the norm published in the official newspaper “El Peruano”.
For 60 days, constitutional rights related to “inviolability of home, freedom of transit through national territory, freedom of assembly and personal freedom and security” will be suspended in the province of Apurimac, according to Article 2 of the Peruvian Constitution. .
On Monday, there were road blockades in various parts of the country, an attack on Arequipa’s airport, and incidents at banking and judicial institutions in various countries.
