Peru declares 30-day state of emergency amid protests

Peru’s new government has declared a 30-day national state of emergency to quell violent demonstrations which have shaken the country following the ousting and arrest of President Pedro Castillo a week ago.

Castillo, a leftist elected in 2021, was arrested after illegally trying to dissolve the Andean nation's Congress, the latest in a series of political crises the country has faced in recent years.

Prosecutors on Wednesday said they were seeking 18 months of pretrial detention for Castillo, who has been charged with rebellion and conspiracy. Peru's Supreme Court met to consider the request but later suspended the session until Thursday, Reuters reported.

Castillo's former vice president, Dina Boluarte, was sworn into office after his removal, and her presidency has divided other Latin American leaders.

The political upheaval has sparked angry and sometimes violent protests around the Andean country.

Eight people, mostly teenagers, have died in clashes with the police, authorities have said. At least six were victims of gunfire, according to rights groups. Protesters have blockaded highways, set fires to buildings and invaded airports.

"We have agreed to declare a state of emergency throughout the country, due to the acts of vandalism and violence," Boluarte's defense minister, Alberto Otarola, told reporters.

"This requires a forceful response from the government," he said, adding that it would mean the suspension of certain freedoms, including the right to assembly and freedom of transit, and give authorities the ability to enter homes without a warrant.

Boluarte, speaking to reporters from the presidential palace, called for peace and said "we can't have a dialogue if there's violence between us."

She said elections could be moved forward further to December 2023 from April 2024, a date she had pledged earlier. The vote is currently slated for 2026 when Castillo's term would have ended.

MNA/PR