On the placards of the demonstrators: “Neither olvido nor perdon” (“Neither forget nor forgive”) or: “Dina, fuera! » (Dina out!). On Thursday July 27 and Friday July 28, thousands of people demonstrated peacefully in the streets of the main cities of Peru, notably in Lima, demanding the resignation of Dina Boluarte, the interim president, and the holding of early elections.
The protest movement – dormant since the end of March – resumed on July 19, while the period is marked by national holidays around the anniversary of the country’s independence (which took place on July 28, 1821). Peruvians don’t have the heart for the festivities. The slogan “Nada que celebrar” (“Nothing to celebrate”) was shared on social networks, while, in the processions, the demonstrators sang the anthem of protest: “This democracy is no longer a democracy”, echoing the many voices that have denounced the authoritarian drift of power for several months.
Less numerous than a few months ago, when the protest movement erupted the day after the dismissal of ex-president Pedro Castillo (left) on December 7, 2022 and his failed coup, the demonstrators also demand justice for the victims of the repression that has befallen the movement. Between December and February, 49 people were killed (including seven minors), largely by gunfire, and nearly a thousand others were injured.
No layoffs
A report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) denounced in early May the“excessive use of force” during the protests between December and February, and Amnesty International has called “massacres” and D’“extrajudicial executions” several episodes of violence.
Friday, July 28, Dina Boluarte delivered a three-hour river speech during the traditional message to the nation. The president apologized to the families of the victims while taking care not to engage her responsibility, while she is the subject of an investigation opened by the Peruvian prosecutor’s office in January for “genocide, qualified homicide and serious injuries”. “It is with deep and painful affliction that I ask forgiveness, on behalf of the State, to all the relatives of the deceased”, she said.
No one has been laid off in his government. The interior and defense ministers are still in office. No senior officer has been convicted, and investigations against those responsible appear to have stalled. Mme Boluarte also listed a series of promises leaving no doubt about his intention to govern until 2026, refusing to consider early elections, which 80% of Peruvians are however in favor of, according to a poll by the Institute of Peruvian Studies (IEP) published on 22nd July.
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