Peru: Ministers resign amid deadly protests
Two ministers of Peru’s already embattled government resigned from their posts on Friday following several deaths amid protests triggered by the ousting of former President Pedro Castillo last week.
Education Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Perez both cited the deaths in their announcements.
“This morning I presented my letter of resignation from the position of education minister. The death of compatriots has no justification. State violence cannot be disproportionate and cause death,” Correa said.
The resignations came as Congress failed to pass a constitutional reform that would bring forward presidential elections to December 2023.
Why are people protesting in Peru?
Protesters took to the street after Congress voted for the removal of Castillo, who took office last year, when he tried to dissolve the parliamentary body saying he would instead rule by decree.
He was detained and replaced by his Vice President Dina Boluarte, who was sworn in on December 7.
Castillo is facing six corruption investigations and was on the verge of seeing his third impeachment attempt. The former president has rejected the allegations.
Peru’s ousted president to remain in custody
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The attempted coup and subsequent ousting of Castillo is just the most recent episode in Peru’s political turmoil that has seen multiple leaders impeached and arrested under charges of corruption.
Number of protest deaths climbs
Protests continued on Friday despite a nationwide state of emergency being declared on Wednesday and the deaths of at least 16 people so far, half of whom were killed on Thursday in clashes with security forces in the town of Ayacucho.
These latest protests were reportedly sparked by a Supreme Court decision to hold Castillo in pretrial detention for up to 18 months during an investigation into charges of “rebellion and conspiracy.”
Protesters had also been calling for Boluarte’s resignation — she had been a member of Castillo’s party until she was expelled earlier in the year — and new elections.
However, Congress rejected the suggestion, introduced by the opposition, to bring the vote forward by more than two years from 2026. A two-thirds majority of 87 votes was required for the motion to pass; 49 were in favor, 33 against and 25 abstained.
Peru declares state of emergency over unrest
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ab/msh (Reuters, AFP, EFE)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/peru-ministers-resign-amid-deadly-protests/a-64130368?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf