A man in Peru’s capital Lima died on Saturday and others were hospitalized as nationwide clashes between protesters and police continued in the eighth week of the South American country’s political crisis.
The death of Victor Santisteban Yacsavilca, 55, brings to 58 the nationwide toll in the protests that began in early December after the impeachment and arrest of President Pedro Castillo.
Demonstrators take part in a protest to demand Peru’s President Dina Boluarte to step down , in Lima, Peru, on 28th January, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Pilar Olivares
Initially focused in Peru’s rural, mountainous south, protests have gained steam in the capital in recent weeks. Saturday’s protests were mostly in Lima and the southern Cusco region, Peru’s ombudsman said in a statement.
Santisteban had suffered a severe head injury, the national health insurance agency said in a statement.
PERU BUS PLUNGES OFF CLIFF, KILLING AT LEAST 24
At least 24 people died in northern Peru after a bus carrying 60 passengers plunged off a cliff in early on Saturday, police told local media.
Peru’s transportation supervisory agency (SUTRAN) confirmed the crash in a statement, without providing a number of fatalities or injuries.
The tragedy, involving a bus for the company Q’Orianka Tours Aguila Dorada, occurred in the district of El Alto in the far north of Peru, SUTRAN said.
SUTRAN said early investigations showed the bus appeared to have an up-to-date safety inspection and accident insurance.
Road accidents are relatively common in Peru, with many drivers operating vehicles on precarious roads and without proper training. In 2021, 29 people died when a bus plunged off a highway in the Andes mountains.
– BRENDAN O’BOYLE/Reuters
Some protests escalated as demonstrators armed with rocks and makeshift shields clashed with police, who deployed gas and rubber bullets.
Peru’s ombudsman condemned reports of attacks against journalists covering the protests.
President Dina Boluarte expressed regret early on Saturday after Congress refused to speed up the timeline for a presidential election amid the unrest, her office said.
Lawmakers had given an initial green light to moving elections from 2026 to 2024, but on Friday voted down proposals hold the election this year.
Boluarte has repeatedly backed moving up elections as she struggles to quell the protests calling for her resignation.
A motion to move elections up to April 2024 passed one vote and has a final vote in February. Congress will continue debate on Monday.
On Friday Boluarte said an election could happen this year.
“We urge lawmakers to put down their partisan and group interests and put the interest of Peru first. Our citizens promptly await a clear response that will pave a way out of the political crisis and build social peace,” Boluarte’s office said on Twitter.
Boluarte, who took office after Castillo’s removal, has maintained she will stay on as president until elections are held.
