Supporters of former President Pedro Castillo march in Cuzco, Peru. Photo: Paul Gambin/Reuters.
Amid the ongoing political crisis, on Wednesday, Peruvian Defense Minister Alberto Otarola declared a 30-day state of emergency throughout the country. Violence, roadblocks, and airport takeovers have aggravated the situation. “National emergency means the suspension of the rights of assembly, inviolability of homes, freedom of transit, freedom of assembly, personal freedom and security,” the minister stated in his announcement. The declaration came after new President Dina Boluarte said she would move elections forward by two years to April 2024–a move designed to appease Castillo supporters from rural regions who took to the streets demanding her resignation. Clashes between police and protesters have claimed up to 15 lives so far and more than 100 police officers have been injured.
The public crisis follows the ouster and detention of former President Petro Castillo and inauguration of Boluarte last Wednesday. In a handwritten letter addressing the Peruvian people, Castillo requested his immediate freedom, refused to resign, and called Boluarte a “usurper.” Prosecutors have requested sentencing Castillo to 18 months of pre-trial detention for the alleged coup attempt.
