Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/LIMA: Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Friday called for a multiparty dialogue to help resolve political crises in the country, saying two months of sometimes deadly protests against the government had left the country a “fragile democracy.”
After the impeachment and arrest of Pedro Castillo for an attempt to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, Boluarte became president on December 7. But since that day, she has faced demands to resign by protesters and demanding fresh elections.
Demonstrations turned violent
On Friday, officials announced another death, taking the total number of people killed to 49 in clashes between protesters and security forces.
Boluarte said, “We are living in a fragile democracy,” who has refused to step down and tried unsuccessfully to persuade Congress to move the 2026 elections up.
At a press conference with her cabinet members, Boluarte said, “I think it is the most fragile in Latin America, but it is within Peruvians, within us, to enhance democracy.”
Since March 2018, Boluarte has served as Peru’s sixth president, becoming the first woman to do so. Before he was removed from office and accused of rebellion, she served as Castillo’s vice president.
The most violent anti-Castillo protests have occurred in impoverished southern areas with significant Indigenous populations considering Castillo to be one of their own.
The right-wing opposition flatly rejects their other demands, which include the dissolution of Congress and the creation of a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution.
Boluarte said, “Searching peace, I openly call all political leaders of every party, but also the leaders of labour and social organizations, everyone in general so that we can sit together and put the agenda of the country on the table.” Boluarte urged Congress to move forward with elections in December.
Nevertheless, despite an early vote in favor that still needs to be approved, the idea was rejected by parliament in five different votes.
Boluarte mentioned the most recent protester fatality, a 22-year-old who was shot on Thursday in her birthplace of Apurimac, at the press conference.
“I am sad for the death of the citizen in Apurimac yesterday, in that clash where a bus and a toll booth were set on fire. My condolences are for the family,” Boluarte said.
But she noted that some street protests are not peaceful and are rocking the nation. They come out with rocks, sticks, and slingshots to cause damage. She added, “Not all are protesting peacefully. They are coming out to generate terror, violence, and chaos.”
