Peru protests: Roads and airport blocked in anger at new president
Anti-government protesters blocked roads and stormed the international airport in Peru’s second city Arequipa as deadly unrest intensified on Monday.
Supporters of leftist former President Pedro Castillo took to the streets in anger at his impeachment and arrest.
Dina Boluarte, his successor and former deputy, proposed bringing general elections forward by two years to April 2024 in response to the protests.
But Castillo called Boluarte’s plans a “dirty game”.
At least seven people have now died in clashes with the security forces since protests erupted over the impeachment of Castillo last Wednesday.
He was accused of corruption and detained for attempting to dissolve the opposition-controlled Congress, just hours before it was due to vote on his impeachment.
Supporters of Castillo argue that Boluarte was not elected by the people. They are demanding that Peru hold new elections, with some also calling for Congress to be shut down and Castillo released.
Protesters blocked roads and set fire to vehicles on Monday, and an estimated 2,000 stormed the airport in the southern city of Arequipa, blocking the runway and forcing flights to be suspended for several hours. Police finally dispersed them with tear gas.
In a televised address to the nation earlier in the day, Boluarte – the first woman to lead Peru – said she would submit a bill to Congress to hold elections in April 2024, instead of April 2026.
Agencies