With the formalization of two new preparatory investigations, by the Public ministryrelated to deaths and injuries that occurred during social protests between December 2022 and March 2023, the Dina Boluarte’s government has already carried out a total of 20 investigations in this procedural stage.
Recent investigations focus on incidents that occurred in the Puno and Apurímac regions. In Puno, the commander of the National PoliceSegundo Martín Ocampo Aguirre, for serious and minor injuries, as well as for abuse of authority, following the events that occurred in the vicinity of the Inca Manco Cápac airport in Juliaca, where four people were injured.
In Apurímac, the investigation refers to the events of December 12, 2022, at the Chincheros Police Station, where a minor died and two people were injured in a confrontation between protesters and police. Those involved in this case include the former general commander of the National Police, Raúl Enrique Alfaro Alvarado, and other senior police officers.
To the date, There are now 20 preliminary investigations involving 160 members of the National Police and the Armyrelated to the deaths and injuries of 274 citizens in various regions of the country, including Lima, Apurímac, Arequipa, Puno, Cusco, La Libertad, Ucayali, Junín and Ayacucho.
For his part, in his speech for the 51st anniversary of the Association of Exporters (ADEX), Boluarte highlighted the challenges that his government has faced since taking office on December 7, 2022. He mentioned that he had to deal with around 500 demonstrations, all of them violent, and reaffirmed his commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
“Once again, our country has been through setbacks and progress. Just on December 7, when I took office, it goes without saying, because everyone witnessed the situation in which we received the country and we faced 500 demonstrations, all of them violent,” said President Boluarte.
However, no specific statements have been made so far regarding the Prosecutor’s Office’s formal investigations into the deaths and injuries that occurred during the protests.
Amnesty International Report
Parallel, International Amnesty has published a report suggesting that Boluarte could be considered the indirect author of human rights violations committed during the protests. Document indicates that the president met with military leaders on several occasions and police in December 2022, without taking measures to curb the repressive tactics used.
“The president made these decisions despite the fact that the national director of intelligence, who coordinated all intelligence services at the national level, had met with her beforehand to inform her that the protests had no criminal links and that he did not see the need to deploy the Armed Forces,” the report reads.
Madeleine Penmanan Amnesty International researcher, said Boluarte’s actions could be compared to those of former dictators, due to his failure to intervene to prevent excessive use of force by law enforcement. The report highlights patterns of state intimidation and the permissive use of lethal force during protests.
