State of emergency status has been declared in Peru’s capital Lima and three additional districts. The emergency will last for 30 days and give the Peruvian army the right to step in and restore order. Several fundamental rights, including the right to assemble and to move about freely, are suspended during the emergency.
The directive has been made public in the government journal. Since December, protesters led by followers of deposed president Pedro Castillo have marched and blocked streets around Peru, calling for fresh elections and the ouster of incumbent leader Dina Boluarte.
The new 30-day measure was announced on Wednesday by Alberto Otarola, the defence minister of Peru. He said it includes “the restriction of freedom of movement and assembly” and would include a curfew because of “acts of destruction and violence,” such as roadblocks.
Peruvian defence minister Alberto Otarola announced the new 30-day measure on Wednesday, which he said involved “the suspension of freedom of movement and assembly” and could include a curfew due to “acts of vandalism and violence”, including roadblocks.
“The National Police with the support of the Armed Forces will ensure the control throughout the national territory of personal property and, above all, strategic infrastructure and the safety and wellbeing of all Peruvians,” the minister said.
At least 42 people have been murdered in battles with security forces throughout the rallies, including a police officer who was burnt alive in a car. Hundreds more have also been injured.
However, the international airport of Cusco has been reopened by authorities as it is crucial for Peru’s tourism industry. Castillo’s fellow left-wing party member, President Boluarte, has stated she would not resign.
Castillo requested his supporters to visit the police station where he is being held on Wednesday in the late afternoon, saying that he should be freed after the initial seven-day period of preliminary custody, which expires later that day.
“Enough already! The outrage, humiliation and mistreatment continues. Today they restrict my freedom again with 18 months of pretrial detention,” he wrote in a message posted on Twitter. “I hold judges and prosecutors responsible for what happens in the country.”
Peru has faced political instability in recent years, with Boluarte, 60, the sixth person to hold the presidency in five years. Castillo, who was being investigated in several fraud cases during his tenure, has been remanded in custody for 18 months, charged with rebellion.