During the closing speech of the APEC Leaders Summit 2024the president Dina Boluarte spoke about the importance of regional cooperation to face global challenges and strengthen economic ties in the Asia-Pacific. However, at the end of his speech, he thanked the citizens for their ‘commitment and seriousness‘ during the week of the international summit.
However, his message contrasts with the national context, marked by a growing security crisis that led transport unions, merchants and civil organizations to call a 72-hour National Strike starting on November 13.
“I want to especially thank the Peruvian people for their commitment, seriousness and patriotism throughout these weeks of APEC leaders,” were the president’s first words of gratitude to the Peruvians. “We have seen our image reinforced as a country open to trade, investment and international cooperation, committed to dialogue and with consensus generation to obtain important achievements that allow us to continue on the path towards development and prosperity,” added Boluarte.
However, despite the fact that the head of state highlighted that Peru showed itself to be a country committed to dialogue and the search for consensus during the APEC 2024 Summit, members of her cabinet such as the Minister of Transport, Raúl Pérez-Reyesminimized the demands of the transporters during the strike, despite the fact that they demand urgent demands against problems such as crime, extortion and contract killings.
“If you are going to listen to the banners, we have nothing to discuss. The banners say ‘they are killing us’. If you want, you can tell me: Who are they killing?“, said the head of the MTC during an interview for RPP. Likewise, the Minister of the Interior, Juan José Santiváñez minimized the protests, justified the actions of the police and even called “criminals“to those who demonstrated during the National Strike.
Dina Boluarte thanked the national and international press
During her closing speech at APEC 2024, President Dina Boluarte also thanked the national and international press for their coverage of the event. Although some Foreign journalists used social networks To document the demonstrations outside the event headquarters in San Borja, during the strike, the band of the National Police of Peru (PNP) gave a musical presentation at the intersection of Aviación and Javier Prado avenues, in order to mitigate the noise of protests and prevent it from being heard within the Ministry of Culture.
“I also want thank the national press and international for having joined us at this APEC 2024 summit. Thanks to you, we have been in the voices, thoughts and hearts of the world,” the president concluded her speech on Saturday, November 16.
