According to reports, the Peruvian forces’ actions against mass protests last December were classified as violent.
The South American country of Peru has seen outbreaks of mass protests since early 2022. The actions committed by the Peruvian armed forces to curb the protests were classified as violent.
Recently, a human rights group stated that the actions of the Peruvian forces were nothing less than a massacre. More than 60 people died in the protests. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) released a report stating that there were instances of excessive force used.
According to the IACHR report, the protestors were killed or injured by bullets and open firing carried out by the forces. These instances took place mainly in the Andean regions of Ayancucho and Puno.
Margarette May Macaulay, head of the IACHR, said Peru violated human rights. The violations need to be investigated, focusing on race and ethnicity. She also states that unlawful deaths can classify as extrajudicial executions.
Reasons for protests
Peru has been facing internal turmoil since December 2022. Thousands of protesters took to the streets, demanding the impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo. The protests took a turn for the worse after the arrest of Castillo.
The country saw increasing protests demanding the removal of current President Dina Boluarte due to the deaths of 17 protesters in January 2024. They were killed by Peruvian forces while attempting to charge an airport in the city of Julica.
The latest protests were the worst since the December outbreak. It was the highest death toll in a single day of protests. Protesters are now demanding the resignation of Dina Boluarte, changes to the Constitution, and the freeing of former President Castillo.
Over 400 tourists were stranded in the country after the closure of the popular tourist destination Machu Picchu. The evacuation of 148 foreign nationals and 270 Peruvians was carried out safely in January of this year.
Dina Boluarte’s stance
President Dina Boluarte took over the Peruvian government after the ousting of Pedro Castillo. Since taking over, she has faced charges of genocide, homicide, and grave injuries. The attorney general has opened a case against Boluarte and three other ministers.
Regarding the IACHR report, Boluarte’s administration denies all allegations. They state that the state will cooperate with the investigation. At a press conference, Boluarte states that they are rejecting charges of extrajudicial executions and massacring the masses.
Boluarte has also downplayed the severity of the report. She claims that the report has not “confirmed” any of its findings but is rather stating incidents that “could have happened.”
Reason for Castillo’s ousting
There were protests across the country calling for Pedro Catillo’s removal from office. This would be his third impeachment hearing since he took office. The protests were in response to Castillo’s decision to dissolve the Congress.
Castillo wanted to take over the country and rule by decree. As such, he was later arrested and imprisoned. His arrest triggered several other chains of events. These led to demands for his release, a new and fair election, and an amended constitution.
Amnesty International’s Report
Amnesty International, a human rights group, called the government’s actions a systematic attack on the indigenous population residing in the rural Andean region. The organisation has called for a halt to all Canadian arms imported into Peru.
Marian Navarro, executive director of the organisation in Peru stated that witnessing the violence in the country should be a wake-up call for all arms and ammunition importers to put a stop to their business.
Amnesty International is a global organisation consisting of over 10 million members in over 150 nations. It is a non-governmental organisation free from political ideology. They work to bring justice to those whose human rights are violated.
