Peru’s Congress still undecided on early poll
LIMA: Peruvian lawmakers on Tuesday once again failed to agree on a plan to bring forward elections in a bid to end weeks of deadly protests that have brought parts of the South American country to a standstill.
Peru has been embroiled in a political crisis with near-daily demonstrations since Dec 7, when then-president Pedro Castillo was arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.
In seven weeks of demonstrations, 48 people – including one police officer – have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters, according to the human rights ombudsman’s office.
Fresh clashes between protesters and government forces erupted Tuesday evening, prompting police to fire tear gas, as demonstrators demanded the dissolution of Congress, a new constitution, and the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, who as his vice president took over with Castillo gone.
Last month, lawmakers moved elections, originally due in 2026, up to April 2024 — but as protesters dug in their heels, Boluarte called for holding a vote this year instead.
On Tuesday, lawmakers again failed to reach an agreement on a potential 2023 vote, and adjourned until Wednesday, after first rejecting Boluarte’s proposal on Friday and then on Monday.
As lawmakers debated Tuesday, demonstrators gathered for new protests in central Lima, only a few blocks from Congress.
The so-called Great March, called by union leaders and rural organisations, saw protesters chanting and waving banners reading ‘Dina resign now’.
For union leader and protest coordinator Geronimo Lopez, the stalemate at the political level was indicative of a Congress ‘clinging to stay in office.’
“There is no political will to listen to the platform of struggle of the people,” he said.
Roadblocks erected by protesters have caused shortages of food, fuel and other basic commodities in several regions of the Andean nation.
And early Tuesday, police gathered in large numbers to keep protesters out of the capital’s airport. The unrest is being fueled mainly by poor southern, Indigenous Peruvians who perceived Castillo, who is also from that region and has Indigenous roots, as an ally in their fight against poverty, racism and inequality.