At least 18 people have been killed in clashes in southern Peru after protests demanding early elections and the release of jailed former president Pedro Castillo resumed.
Among the dead in the city of Juliaca, where protesters tried to take control of the airport, are two teenagers, the Peruvian Human Rights Office said Monday.
Another person was also reported dead in the city of Chucuito, where protesters blocked a highway.
Today’s figures are the highest daily death toll since unrest began in early December following Castillo’s ouster and arrest following his attempt to dissolve Congress. The former president is serving 18 months in pretrial detention on charges of rebellion, which he denies.
Castillo’s successor, his former running mate Dina Boluarte, has supported a plan to bring up the presidential and congressional elections to 2024, originally scheduled for 2026. She has also expressed support for judicial investigations into whether security forces have acted with excessive violence.
But those measures have failed to end unrest which, after a brief respite over the Christmas and New Year holidays, has resumed in some of Peru’s poorest areas, where support for the Castillo government is strongest. .
Yesterday, Monday, nationwide protests were reported, many roadblocks that made it impossible for truckers to bring products to market.
In Juliaca, near the shores of Lake Titicaca in the Puno region, gunshots and smoke erupted in the streets as protesters took cover behind large metal plates and traffic signs, throwing rocks at police.
Peru’s Ombudsman’s Office said in a statement that the police and the armed forces should not attempt to resolve conflicts, as doing so was the duty of Congress and the central government.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights announced that it will visit Peru from Wednesday to Friday, traveling to Lima and other cities to assess the situation.
