Peru has been in a state of unrest since the ousting of Pedro Castillo, former left-wing president of the country. Castillo is currently in jail with charges of rebellion and conspiracy after he attempted to dissolve Congress in December. Castillo denies the charges and maintains that he is the legitimate leader of the country. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets demanding Castillo’s release and a fresh round of elections. Dozens have died in violent clashes with police, protesters set police stations on fire in multiple regions of Peru. Roads and train tracks have been obstructed by protesters, leading to the decision to close tourist sites such as Machu Picchu indefinitely. The government of Peru has taken some heavy criticism on their response to the unrest. A preliminary investigation into the new President Boluarte was announced by the state prosecutor earlier this month. And, in the midst of this conflict, the Peruvian Congress makes another attempt at removing Indigenous protections.

Castillo’s support comes from Indigenous groups and many working class, rural Peruvians. The protesters travel from the highlands to the capital Lima to demonstrate. They feel angry and betrayed by their country for failing to respect their rights and the rising number of protesters injured or dead from police conflicts. In an interview with the BBC, one man from Cusco said, “Our military and police, rather than defending us, are killing us. It hurts so much. How can they kill us for rising up to defend our country? We’ve never robbed our country. We only want to improve our lives to build a better country.” Governors of the Puno, Cusco, and Apurimac regions joined the call for Boluarte’s resignation. The longer that the protests continue, the higher the death toll climbs, and the more the economy suffers for the blocked roads and lost tourism revenue. 

President, and former Vice President, Dina Boluarte was sworn in on December 7th after Castillo’s arrest. She is now the first woman to hold the office. Formerly a member of the same Marxist party as Castillo, Boluarte was rejected after being labeled a traitor by the party’s leader, Vladimir Cerrón. Now, having unexpectedly stepped into the Presidential office, she immediately faces massive demonstrations and calls for her resignation. The European Union issued a statement on the 21st of January condemning “the widespread acts of violence as well as the disproportionate use of force by security forces.” The preliminary investigation against President Boluarte’s response to the protests was announced on January 10th. The alleged crimes are genocide, qualified homicide, and serious injuries. As of the 30th of January 2023, 65 people have died. 

The Peruvian government is reluctant to respond to the demands of protesters. There has been no move to release Castillo and Boluarte has not resigned. On January 29, 2023, President Boluarte announced her intention to advance the general elections to October 2023. In the same announcement, the President also proposed a total reform of the 1993 Constitution. This came after over a month of violence and without Congress’ support. While Congress could not get behind advancing the elections, there was an attempt to quietly pass a law removing protections for uncontacted Indigenous people and dismantling existing reserves. There are currently 7 Indigenous reserves in Peru’s Amazon rainforest. The proposed law would stop the creation of reserves, and eliminate the existing ones. The Indigenous Federation Aidesep in Peru oppose the bill strongly, saying that it “would cause genocide,” because members of the uncontacted tribes would be more vulnerable to illnesses like influenza or the common cold, and would be harmed by human threats such as logging, mining, and drug trafficking. With the country’s focus on the political crisis, the Indigenous activists are concerned this bill will go unnoticed. Despite the deadly protests on the streets of Lima and the condemnation of the global community, the Congress of Peru still fails to move the general election forward, and considers taking away more protected land from the already marginalized Indigenous people.

Article by Jane Kastner. More information in the links below.

The Guardian – Peru lawmakers propose bill to strip Indigenous people of protections

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/08/dina-boluarte-peru-first-female-president

Primicias – Boluarte insistirá adelanto de elecciones si Congreso no lo aprueba
https://www.primicias.ec/noticias/politica/peru-congreso-adelanto-elecciones-boluarte/

European Union External Action – Peru: Statement by the Spokesperson on the ongoing protests in the country

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/peru-statement-spokesperson-ongoing-protests-country_en

BBC – Peru protests: Machu Picchu closed indefinitely and tourists stranded
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-64360531

BBC – Peru protests: More deaths reported as demonstrators descend on Lima
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-64327180

BBC Mundo – La Fiscalía de Perú abre investigación preliminar contra la presidenta Dina Boluarte por “genocidio” tras las muertes en las protestas
https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-64232156

AIDESEP – En plena crisis política, Comisión de Descentralización del Congreso pretende aprobar proyecto de Ley del genocidio PIACI
https://aidesep.org.pe/noticias/en-plena-crisis-politica-comision-de-descentralizacion-del-congreso-pretende-aprobar-proyecto-de-ley-del-genocidio-piaci/