»Peru’s deadly protests force the closing of a famous tourist airport«
Lima — Thursday marked the continuation of weeks-long protests that have killed dozens across Peru, with growing tensions in the Andean city of Cusco causing the government to close the city’s airport. Supporters of former president Pedro Castillo marched and barricaded roadways throughout the South American nation, demanding new elections and the ouster of the current leader, Dina Boluarte.
Nearly 50 people, including a police officer who was burned alive in a truck, have been killed in battles with security forces, and hundreds more have been injured. Various governments have provided varying fatality estimates this week, but the majority of Peruvian media sites reported at least 47 deaths as a result of the disturbance.
In the southern Puno district, where 17 people were buried on Thursday, nearly half of the dead perished in conflicts on Monday evening.
On January 12, 2023, in Cusco, Peru, mourners gather for the funeral procession of community and protest leader Remo Candia at Plaza de Armas del Cusco. Candia, a community leader from Anta, was killed during conflicts between police and demonstrators on January 11.
Major flashpoints have occurred around Peru’s airports, which are guarded by security forces after demonstrators stormed runways during the initial wave of uprisings at the beginning of December.
The major airport in Cusco, the gateway city to Peru’s tourism crown treasure Machu Picchu, was abruptly closed Thursday “as a preventative measure,” according to a tweet from Peru’s transportation ministry.
The train connection between Cusco and the historical site has been suspended until further notice due to safety concerns, the railway operator announced in a statement.
Wednesday night, clashes broke out in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca empire, as demonstrators attempted to enter the airport while others destroyed a bus station, damaged stores, and blocked train tracks with huge boulders. In the turbulence, the ombudsman for human rights in Peru said that one person was killed and more than 50 people, including 19 police officers, were injured, while police reported that 11 individuals had been arrested.
On Thursday, seventeen demonstrators were laid to rest in Juliaca, a city in southern Puno near to Bolivia’s border.
At the Capilla cemetery in Juliaca, southern Peru, on January 12, 2023, relatives and friends attend the burial of Jamilath Aroquipa, a 17-year-old student who was one of the 17 persons killed during the violent attempt to take over the airport of the city of Juliaca some days earlier.
Relatives of one of the victims gathered in a circle around a red coffin, holding signs that said “Dina corrupt murderer” and “we are not terrorists but citizens who demand justice.”
“It is painful to lose a member of your family for fighting for your rights,” said Fidel Huancollo, 48, whose cousin had died, in an interview with AFP.
Thursday in Juliaca, a 16-year-old protester who had been hospitalized since Monday died, raising the total number of civilians murdered there to 18.
Also on Thursday, labor unions, left-wing parties, and social collectives marched through the mainly violence-free metropolis of Lima to protest a “racist and classist… dictatorship.”
In addition to calling for Boluarte’s resignation, demonstrators want Congress abolished and a new body established to revise the constitution, which was adopted under Alberto Fujimori’s leadership in 1993. This former president is currently serving a 25-year prison term for crimes against humanity he committed while in office.
Castillo was removed from office in early December for attempting to dissolve Congress and govern by decree in order to forestall an impeachment vote against him, which led to widespread demonstrations.
There are still roadblocks in ten of Peru’s twenty-five departments, according to the transport authority.
Boluarte, 60, was Castillo’s vice president until Castillo was removed from office on December 7.
Castillo, who was being probed in multiple fraud cases during his tenure, has been charged with rebellion and remanded in custody for 18 months.
»Peru’s deadly protests force the closing of a famous tourist airport«