Peru: Lawmakers again fail to decide on early elections
February 1, 2023
The 2026 elections have already been moved to 2024, but talks to bring them forward further still are ongoing as the deadly protests that have rocked the country continue unabated.
Protesters are seeking immediate elections, President Dina Boluarte's resignation, closure of the Congress and the release of ousted President Pedro CastilloImage: Martin Mejia/AP/picture alliance
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The Peruvian Congress again failed to reach a conclusion on the discussion to bring forward elections scheduled for 2026, as the country remains embroiled in protests.
The debate has now been postponed until Wednesday at 11 a.m. local time (1600 UTC), the Congress said on its official Twitter account.
Protesters had gathered near the Congress in central Lima on Tuesday. The so-called Great March, called by union leaders and rural organizations, saw protesters chanting and waving banners reading "Dina resign now."
Demonstrations started when then-President Pedro Castillo was arrested for attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree. He was replaced by his vice president, Dina Boluarte.
In the following weeks, Castillo's supporters led violent protests nearly every day and blocked important routes within the country.
This has caused severe food and fuel shortages in southern regions. At least 48 people have died in the clashes with security forces, including one police officer, according to the Ombudsman's Office.
Protesters are asking for immediate elections, the dissolution of Congress and the creation of a new constitution.
Elections moved up to 2024
Last month, the elections due in 2026 were moved up to April 2024. However, Boluarte has called to move them to 2023 since the protests are not abating.
"Vote for Peru, for the country, by moving the elections up to 2023," she said while addressing the nation on Sunday.
Last week, lawmakers voted against bringing forward elections to this October.
Boluarte has said she would propose a constitutional reform allowing a first voting round to be held in October if lawmakers again refuse to advance the elections during Tuesday's meeting.
The social unrest has deeply impacted Peru's tourism industry. The South American nation attracted 4.5 million tourists a year before the pandemic, with no hopes of rebounding due to the ongoing crisis.
The government shut down the famous Machu Picchu tourist attraction for the safety of visitors due to protests.
Peru protests: Access to Machu Picchu blocked
The protests against Peruvian President Dina Boluarte show no sign of abating. The Culture Ministry has now closed off access to the ruins of Machu Picchu, the country's most famous tourist attraction.
Image: Martin Mejia/AP Photo/picture alliance
No way up
Amid renewed heavy clashes between demonstrators and police at countrywide protests against Peru's government, the Culture Ministry has denied access to the famous Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. A statement from the ministry said the move was necessary "given the current social situation in our region."
Image: AFP via Getty Images
Heavy lifting
The ongoing protests in Peru against President Dina Boluarte are increasingly affecting tourism, one of the country's main sources of income. Over the weekend, "418 local and foreign tourists" were evacuated from the area of Machu Picchu due to disrupted rail connections, according to the Tourism Ministry.
Image: AFP via Getty Images
Stranded on the streets
Because of the closure of Machu Picchu, more than 400 stranded tourists, 300 of them from abroad, were taken to nearby Cusco, the Peruvian news agency Agencia Andina reported. In view of the bloody unrest, Pope Francis has called for peace and dialogue between the opposing political camps.
Image: AFP via Getty Images
Unrest has been simmering for weeks
During protests against the Peruvian government, demonstrators and police have clashed in the capital, Lima. Protesters hurled stones and fireworks at the police, who in turn responded with batons and volleys of tear gas.
Image: Pilar Olivares/REUTERS
A deeply divided country
The protests, the worst the country has seen since the overthrow of autocrat Alberto Fujimori in 2000, show the country's deep division between an urban and economic elite largely concentrated in Lima and the poor rural areas where leftist Pedro Castillo has his power base.
Image: Sebastian Castaneda/REUTERS
Protesters demand release of ex-president
Thousands of people, including many from remote regions of the country, went to Lima on Thursday under the slogan "Toma de Lima" (Taking Lima). The conflict escalated after elected President Pedro Castillo was removed from office in early December and arrested on charges of attempting a coup. He has been in pre-trial detention since his arrest.
Image: Diego Ramos/AFP
Anger directed at Boluarte
The demonstrators have identified the government of Dina Boluarte as their main opponent, and have loudly called for her resignation. Boluarte, meanwhile, was defiant in a televised speech on Thursday, announcing consequences for those "who want to create chaos and disorder."
Image: Pilar Olivares/REUTERS
Demonstrators want to see Congress dissolved
The demonstrators have demanded the resignation of the head of state, the dissolution of Congress and Castillo's release. At times, the main streets of Lima have been transformed into a pedestrian zone as the massive protests shut down traffic in parts of the capital.
Image: Pilar Olivares/REUTERS
Peru at a turning point?
Demonstrators have repeatedly thrown stones at police barriers, as police responded with tear gas that made most of the demonstrators flee. Pedro Mamani, a student at the National University of San Marcos, told The Associated Press that he sees his country at a "breaking point between dictatorship and democracy."
Image: Ernesto Benavides/AFP
Pushing back
Police have so far arrested around 200 people in Lima, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on the police to show proportionality. So far, more than 50 people have died, most of them protesters. "This isn't ending today, it won't end tomorrow, but only once we achieve our goals," David Lozada said on the sidelines of the protests in Lima.
