New Delhi: The political crisis of South American country Peru is becoming more deadly. Violent protests against the government in Peru continue. Violent clashes broke out between protesters (Protector) and security forces on Monday, in which 17 people were killed. The situation in Peru has gotten so bad that the government decided to impose a curfew on Tuesday after a day of bloody violence to rein in protesters.
Curfew will be in effect from 8 pm to 4 am as per government orders. A curfew has been ordered in the Puno region of southern Peru. According to Prime Minister Alberto Otarola, a curfew has been ordered for the next 3 days. According to Henry Rebaza, an official at the Puno Health Ministry, 68 people were injured in the latest clashes in the city of Juliaca in the Puno region.
The protests followed the removal of former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo from office. The protests have killed 40 people in a month, including 17 on Monday night. The country’s human rights office reported that Monday 09 January was the deadliest day of protests so far. Protests continue to demand early elections and the release of jailed former President Pedro Castillo.
68 people have also been injured in this violent clash.
The clashes broke out in Juliaca, a town on the shores of Lake Titicaca in southern Peru’s Puno region, according to Health Ministry official Henry Rebaza. 68 people were injured in this clash. According to the ministry, the dead include at least two teenagers. The Puno region, which borders Bolivia, has become the center of a protest movement led by Castillo’s supporters.
17 people and one police officer died
According to information received, the police said that the protesters ransacked shops in the area throughout the night and also attacked police vehicles. Also, more people lost their lives when protesters tried to storm the airport in the city of Juliaca. According to an official at Juliaca Hospital, 14 people were killed, many of them from bullet wounds. Three more people were killed during the rampage at a shopping center in Juliaca, while the last known victim was a police officer, who the United Nations said died when his vehicle caught fire. At the same time, the government has defended the actions of the security forces in Juliaca.
The protests in Peru began a month ago when Castillo, facing a corruption investigation, was forced to leave office. Since then, tensions have escalated in the cities of Puno and Juliaca. Demonstrators blocked roads in six of the country’s 25 main locations. Officials say 53 different roads are blocked.
Why was there a state of emergency in Peru?
Anti-government protests have been going on for a long time in Peru. In the past too, the agitators have blocked roads at many places, vandalism has also taken place at many places. In December 2022, a state of emergency was declared within Peru. In fact, Peru is currently facing an unexpected political crisis. There has been so much upheaval in the last few days that the tension is increasing rather than decreasing.
Political History and Political Crisis of Peru
If we look at the political history of Peru in the last few years, we know that this kind of crisis was bound to happen to this country. In the year 2020, the President was changed three times in five days. Even before this, many former presidents were in jail who were accused of corruption while in office. Now the name of Pedro Castillo has also been added to this list. In his place, Vice President Dina Boluiarte has been made the next President of the country. She became the first woman in Peru’s democratic history to hold the presidency.