In Peru, the political crisis degenerates

► What happened on January 9?

At least 17 people died on Monday, January 9, in Juliaca, industrial and commercial center of the country, in the region of Puno (South), during clashes between the police and demonstrators. The victims have gunshot wounds, said an official at Carlos-Monge Hospital in Juliaca where they were taken. The demonstrators are supporters of President Pedro Castillo, deposed on December 7 and imprisoned.

The clashes erupted as protesters attempted to invade Juliaca airport, located about 1,300 km south of Lima, which had already been the subject of an attempted assault on Saturday. The mayor of Juliaca, Oscar Caceres, appealed to the population on local radio La Decana: “What is taking place is a massacre between Peruvians, I ask for calm, do not expose yourselves. These new deaths bring to 39 the death toll in nearly a month of anti-government protests, in this country plunged into a virulent institutional and political crisis.

► What do the protesters want?

The majority of them belong to the left and come from the Quechua (originating in the Andes) and Aymara (Lake Titicaca region) ethnic groups. “There is a racial dimension to this conflict between the whites and mestizos of Lima on the Pacific coast, on the one hand, and on the other the natives, left behind in Peru, estimates Lissell Quiroz, professor of Latin American Studies at Cergy-Paris University. The latter have the feeling that the Peruvian political class is bent on their president Pedro Castillo, elected mainly by the natives because he is not white, not from Lima but from the Andes and that he does not belong to the traditional political class. »

They demand the resignation of Dina Boluarte, former vice-president who arrived at the head of the country after the dismissal of Pedro Castillo. The latter had ordered, on December 7, the dissolution of Parliament. The deputies, mainly in the opposition, had shortly after voted, by a large majority, his dismissal for “moral incapacity”. Pedro Castillo then tried to find refuge at the Mexican embassy before being arrested. The Supreme Court of Peru has decided to keep him in pre-trial detention until June 2024. Prosecuted for “rebellion” and “conspiracy”, the ex-president faces, according to prosecutor Alcides Diaz, up to ten years in prison.

► What possible way out of the crisis?

“The only solution to the crisis is through the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and the organization of new elections,” said Lissell Quiroz. Supporters of Pedro Castillo are calling for a Chilean-style “constituent” to reform the political system, which is corrupt. Better representation of the population in Parliament and better political balance are essential. But the chances of reform are slim, she says, “because it would threaten the power of parliamentarians.” For now, the president, who has simply offered to advance the presidential election to next year, gives no sign in favor of a dialogue with the protesters. “There is no negotiation with the Andes, just repression”, concludes Lissell Quiroz.

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