Peru Ministers Resign After Deadly Protests As Pressure On Government Rises – Pressure mounted on Peru’s new government as two cabinet members resigned in the aftermath of the country’s tragic protests since former President Pedro Castillo’s removal from power and detention last week. On Friday, Education Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Perez announced their resignations on Twitter on Friday, citing the deaths of individuals during the unrest.
“This morning I presented my letter of resignation from the position of education minister. The death of compatriots has no justification. State violence cannot be disproportionate and cause death,” Correa said on her Twitter account. Castillo’s ouster has sparked angry protests, with demonstrators calling for early elections, the closure of congress, a constituent assembly, and the resignation of new president Dina Boluarte.
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The protests continued Friday, with key roads blockaded and airports forced to close. At least 17 people have been killed in the protests so far, authorities have said, and at least five more have died of indirect consequences. The United Nations on Friday expressed “deep concern” over reports of deaths and detentions of minors involved in the demonstrations. Peru’s government said foreign minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi would meet with the UN High Commission Tuesday to discuss the situation.
According to local officials, eight individuals were killed in clashes between police forces and protestors in Ayacucho on Thursday, after a supreme court panel ordered Castillo’s 18-month pretrial detention as he is investigated on allegations of “rebellion and conspiracy.” Castillo has denied any wrongdoing and claims to be the country’s lawful president.
Peru has been in political instability for years, with multiple leaders accused of corruption, impeachment attempts on a regular basis, and presidential terms cut short. The cabinet departures cast doubt on the viability of Boluarte’s government, which was sworn in on December 7 after Castillo was removed from office by a congressional vote hours after attempting to dissolve Congress.
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Peru’s congress rejected a proposed constitutional amendment on Friday that would have pushed presidential elections to December 2023, one of the protestors’ main demands. Following the killings in Ayacucho, the country’s ombudsman’s office stated that a criminal complaint had been filed to determine blame, but no further details were provided. On Wednesday, Boluarte’s administration declared a state of emergency, allowing police special powers and limiting liberties such as the right to assemble, but it appears to have had little effect in quelling the protests.
