Peru to declare state of emergency after protests against new president leave one dead and dozens injured | Peru
Peru is preparing to declare a state of emergency after at least one person died and dozens of police officers were injured in widespread protests against President José Jerí, who came to power just days ago.
Prime Minister Ernesto Alvarez said late Thursday that the government would declare a state of emergency in Lima within hours and was preparing a package of measures to tackle growing insecurity.
The protest called by Generation Z protesters, transport workers and civic groups on Wednesday night was the latest in a series of demonstrations against corruption and rising crime that led to the dramatic midnight impeachment of former president Dina Boluarte last Thursday.
Thousands of protesters gathered across the country and hundreds clashed with police outside the convention in Lima. Some protesters threw fireworks, rocks and burning objects, while police also used tear gas.
“Everyone must go!” When protesters arrived at the congress, they chanted slogans and tried to destroy the metal barriers protecting the building, leading to clashes.
Fernando Losada, a representative from the country’s ombudsman office, said 32-year-old Eduardo Mauricio Ruiz was killed during the protest and his death will be investigated. The Peruvian prosecutor’s office said Ruiz died after being shot.
Jerí expressed sadness over Ruiz’s death in a post on X, saying the death would be investigated “objectively.” He blamed the violence on “criminals who infiltrated a peaceful demonstration to create chaos.”
“The full force of the law will be on them,” he said.
After attending a congressional meeting about the protests on Thursday afternoon, Jerí said he would ask congress for “authority to legislate on public safety issues.”
Jeri said one of her focuses will be prison reform, but did not elaborate on what those powers would include.
Speaking at the unicameral congress shortly afterwards, newly appointed interior minister Vicente Tiburcio said the government would push for comprehensive reform of the national police, adding that 89 police officers and 22 civilians were injured and 11 people were detained during the protest.
The interior ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on police reform or to expand Jerí’s legislative powers.
Wednesday’s protests were a harbinger of how Jerí’s new presidency, which ends next July due to scheduled elections, could play out.
Jerí, 38, has vowed to make crime his top priority but has faced a series of scandals, including allegations of corruption and a now shelved investigation into sexual assault. Jerí denied any wrongdoing in both cases and expressed a willingness to cooperate with any corruption investigations.
Boluarte faced widespread protests after taking power in late 2022, resulting in dozens of deaths and a plummeting popularity level that had swung between 2% and 4% in the days before his ouster.
Congress, which Jerí presided over before becoming president, is nearly as unpopular, with a single-digit approval rating.
