Peru President Dina Boluarte Supports Moving up National Elections to Later This Year

Facing daily protests demanding her resignation, Peru President Dina Boluarte called on Congress Friday to approve a proposal to move the national elections later this year.

The protesters were demanding her resignation after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was impeached and arrested for trying to dissolve Congress.

Boluarte, the former vice president, has already voiced his support for having elections in Peru in April 2024 instead of the previously scheduled 2026.

According to the Associated Press, there is growing support among lawmakers to move the elections even sooner, to December 2023.

Boluarte noted that moving the elections to later this year could help the country "get out of this quagmire we're in." Demonstrators have blockaded several key highways as part of the anti-government protests.

And as protests continue, with more blockades and violence, Boluarte said Friday that the government will send medicine and other goods to an Andes region.

Boluarte became president on December 7, and protests quickly spread across the country. Demonstrators took to the streets to demand Boluarte's resignation and the abolishment of Congress.

According to Peru's ombudsman, at least 56 individuals were killed amid the unrest, 45 of whom died in confrontations with security forces.

Peru Military to Help National Police in Removing Roadblocks

The Peruvian military said Friday that they would assist the national police in clearing roadways blocked by protesters.

On Thursday, the Defense Ministry branded the roadblocks illegal and demanded that protestors dismantle them. Hundreds of military and police were sent to Puno in southern Peru to clear the roadways.

The government reported that overall damage costs had already reached more than $1 billion due to the protests. Hundreds of protesters in the capital city of Lima were recently met by riot police and tear gas.

Demonstrator Abraham Copatayapa told Reuters, "They won't let us go ahead with our peaceful march; we're demanding Dina Boluarte to resign."

He added that they were also demanding early elections in Peru. Boluarte insisted that she will continue to serve as a temporary president until the new elections were held.

She also said on Friday that Peru elections might be held as early as December, depending on how quickly the Congress will act on the proposal.

Peru President Dina Boluarte Called for a Truce but Ignored

Dina Boluarte appealed for a "national truce" Wednesday, but immediately after that, hundreds of people rushed to the streets in Lima, demanding her resignation, according to BBC.

The oppositions launched a vote to impeach the president earlier this week, and governors of southern Puno, Apurimac, and Cusco have also appealed for her resignation.

However, Boluarte refused to resign and urged peaceful protests from the Peruvian people. As a result of the ongoing violence, the world-famous tourist attraction of Machu Picchu was forced to close indefinitely earlier this month.

Hundreds of people were rescued after being trapped for hours at the base of the 15th-century Inca citadel.

According to the Economy and Finance Ministry, the protests have cost the economy $554 million or 2.15 billion soles.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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