Peru President Dina Boluarte Refuses to Resign Following Weeks of Violent Protest

Despite weeks of anti-government rallies that have rocked the severely divided country, Peru President Dina Boluarte refused to resign from her position.

"I will not resign. My commitment is with Peru," she said in a live televised address on Friday night.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more injured due to violent clashes in recent weeks.

Boluarte expressed sorrow at the loss of life amid conflicts with security personnel but claimed she would remain in power.

Having failed in his attempt to suspend Congress following his impeachment, former president Pedro Castillo was arrested in December, setting off the violence.

Many of Castillo's followers have been vocal lately about wanting new elections and for Boluarte to step down.

The president said that the protesters' demand for an immediate constitutional assembly was unrealistic and claimed that radical groups had brought the country to a halt through their brand of anarchy and destruction, according to BBC.

Several members of Boluarte's cabinet, including the interior minister, resigned Friday.

It was also the eighth day in a row that fighting broke out in the country after a brief respite over the New Year's holiday.

The public prosecutor in Peru has begun looking into claims that Boluarte committed genocide in connection with the deaths of protesters during the turmoil, which were first reported earlier this week.

Thousands of Demonstrators Marched, Demanding President to Resign

After weeks of brutal violence sparked by the removal of former President Pedro Castillo, which resulted in at least 42 deaths, thousands took to the streets of Peru's capital Lima Thursday in a peaceful demonstration against the new administration.

"Why are you turning your back on the people, there are so many deaths, for God's sake, stop this massacre," said protester Olga Espejo, calling on Peru President Dina Boluarte, previously Castillo's vice president, to resign.

"Ms. Boluarte, they are using you," she said.

In the first major Peru protest in Lima since the New Year, protesters marched across the city carrying cardboard coffins, images of the dead, and anti-government slogans while chanting "Dina asesina!" (Dina is a murderer).

There were no major incidents at the march, which was organized by labor unions and other leftist organizations, NBC News noted.

It has been over 20 years since Peru last experienced an outbreak of violence on the scale of those that broke out in early December.

Eduardo Garcia, the labor minister, announced his resignation on Twitter as the demonstration on Thursday was going on.

He stated that the nation needed an explanation for the murders and encouraged the government to acknowledge that "mistakes have been made that must be corrected."

Elections have been suggested for April 2024, two years earlier than necessary, but Garcia said the problem could not wait until then.

Peru Declares State of Emergency

After weeks of protests that have claimed the lives of at least 42 people, the Peruvian government has proclaimed a state of emergency in the country's capital, Lima, and three other areas.

Several constitutional rights, including freedom of movement and assembly, have been suspended for the 30-day measure, which was announced late on a Saturday and will remain in effect until further notice.

Since deposed Leftist Peru former President Pedro Castillo was arrested in December and ousted from office for illegally dissolving Congress, protests against Peru President Dina Boluarte have swept the South American country.

Castillo supporters have marched and barricaded streets across the country for weeks, demanding new elections and Boluarte's resignation.

As protests erupted on Thursday, resulting in fights between police and protestors, officials cut down all access to the popular tourist destination of Machu Picchu in Peru.

While Peru President Dina Boluarte has apologized for the violence, the 60-year-old said on Friday that she would not step down in the midst of it and rejected the idea of convening a constitutional assembly as demanded by protesters - pointing to the challenges Chile, Peru's neighbor, faced in formulating and passing a new constitution, per Al Jazeera.

Castillo has been in custody for 18 months on charges of rebellion after being investigated in many fraud cases during his term in office.

Political unrest has plagued Peru in the past years, and six people have held the presidency in the past five years, with Boluarte being the most recent.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Peru's government declares state of emergency amid brutal protests - From Sky News