Marches for peace in Peru reject violent protests

Members of social, political and religious groups marched on Tuesday in various regions of Peru against the announced reactivation of protests calling for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.

The so-called “March for Peace, Violence Never Again”, promoted mainly by right-wing and center-right movements in the country, brought together hundreds of citizens in the country. In Lima, the protesters reached the emblematic Plaza San Martín.

“We are sure that at the national level the Peruvian people want to live in peace and tranquility,” Víctor Guillén, 60, who marched in downtown Lima, told AFP.

The march initially also was encouraged by senior officers of the National Police, although later the Government had to clarify that the institution would not participate.

“We do not want violence. Although it is true that the Constitution enshrines the right to protest, but that protest should not be a symbol of violence,” added the protester Guillén in Lima.

Similar mobilizations “For Peace” were carried out in the center and south of the country. In the capital, three people were arrested for throwing red paint at police officers.

In her capacity as vice president, Boluarte took over the government, replacing Pedro Castillo, who on December 7, 2022, unsuccessfully attempted to stage a coup. He was removed by Congress and later detained for investigation for rebellion.

Behind the castle fall, a left-wing rural teacher, violent protests broke out in the center and south of the country, where the former ruler has support.

These were repelled by police and military, with a balance of 22 deaths and more than 600 wounded.

The demonstrations subsided with the end-of-year festivitiesbut unions and indigenous and peasant organizations assured that they will return on Wednesday, January 4.

They demand the resignation of Boluarte, the closure of Congress and the immediate call for elections.

In an attempt to calm the demands, Parliament brought forward the 2026 elections to April 2024. The ruler has asked that the protests be peaceful.

As a precaution, the railway service between Cusco and the Inca citadel Machu Picchu, a jewel of tourism in Peru, will be suspended indefinitely on Wednesday to guarantee the safety of tourists.

In the protests at the end of 2022, thousands of visitors were stranded in Machu Picchu and in Cuscobefore the interruption of the railway and the closure of the airport, after an attempt to take over by the protesters.