The streets of Peru witnessed an army of troops on Thursday in an attempt to impede protests following the visit of the US ambassador to the Government Palace, which ousted President Pedro Castillo labeled as a pursuit by the US to obtain access to the country’s mines.
Peru’s Supreme Court approved to detain Castillo for 18 months before his trial, following the request of Supreme Prosecutor Uriel Teran on Wednesday.
“Compatriots, attention! The visit of the US ambassador to the Government Palace was neither for free nor in favor of the country. At the meeting, the order to take the troops to the streets and massacre my defenseless people was given, and, among other things, to pave the way for the extraction of minerals, such as from Konga, Tai Maria, and other [mines]. Peruvian media will not only keep silent about this but will also easily deny it,” Castillo published on Twitter in a hand-written note.
According to the Peruvian Corporation of Commercial Airports and Aviation (CORPAC), violence broke out at Andahuaylas Airport last Sunday. Later that day, RPP reported deaths during clashes between law enforcement and protesters at the Airport, and that over ten other people, both police and protesters, were injured. A total of 7 protestors have been killed as a result.
The government of Peru on Wednesday proclaimed a 30-day nationwide state of emergency, to prevent protests that spurred since President Castillo was removed from office last week on accusations of insurrection and conspiracy.
After Castillo was impeached on December 7, Vice-President Dina Boluarte was sworn in as Peru’s sixth president. By moving the elections from 2026 to 2024, Boluarte attempted to quell the mounting resentment on the streets. However, this did not appease the enraged Peruvians.
Since then, she has said that new elections may take place as early as December 2023. “Legally it works for April 2024, but by making some adjustments we can bring them forward to December 2023,” Boluarte told reporters.
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