Peru's Generation Z is leading protests against widespread crime and years of political stalemate, calling for systemic change after witnessing seven presidents in ten years..
Peruvian politics is not for the faint of heart.
The country has suffered years of ongoing political crisis, corruption scandals, rising prices and violent protests.
Presidents have been impeached, charged, and forced from office. There is even a specially built jail that currently houses three of them.
But now a new generation of Peruvians, born since Alberto Fujimori's dictatorship ended in 2000, are now leading the movement for change.
In recent days, thousands of young people have filled Lima's streets.
The protests are organised through social media, and like youth from Indonesia, Nepal and Madagascar, wave pirate flags from the Japanese manga One Piece while speaking out.
In Lima, their frustration sparked on October 15, when confrontations with police left one person dead and around 100 injuries.
"This is about fighting for a future," Angelo Nael Genti told AFP.
The 19-year-old student was beaten and hospitalised after being hit by a pellet during the crackdown.
Most demonstrators are under 28, with many coming from poor neighbourhoods.
They say they feel unprotected by a state they accuse of failing to control crime and maintain stability.
Genti joined classmates from a public university to participate in what he called a peaceful march.
"They threatened me. They told me if they hadn't arrested me, they would have killed me right there," he said, showing bruises on his arm and head injuries.
He recalls first feeling the impact of a pellet on his left leg before collapsing to the ground. "About seven police officers beat and kicked me," he said.
Videos of police aggression went viral on social media, intensifying outrage.
Despite fear, Genti vows to keep protesting: "We want to preserve this idea of struggle for the next generations."
His mother calls him a hero for fighting for Peruvians' rights.
Genti hopes to complete his cultural heritage studies and possibly pursue filmmaking.
'Keep fighting'
Although the protests have no single leader, the demonstrators share common demands: an end to corruption, better security and more jobs in a country where informal work is widespread.
A constant struggle for power between lawmakers and Peru's parade of presidents has made crisis the norm, and attempts to reform unachievable.
Rosalinda, a 26-year-old law graduate, says she marches to "expel criminals from power."
From a poor district in Lima, she has worked and studied to survive.
"Generation Z is more of a cliche," she said. "I consider myself part of the working people."
She accompanied young detainees after police arrested about 20 protesters that day.
All were released later for lack of legal grounds.
AFP heard shouts from inside the detention center before their release: "Let me out."
Despite fear, Rosalinda says she will keep marching. She tells her family,: "If I don't come back, keep fighting."
Wildalr Lozano, 20, a member of Peru's national cricket team, says he joined because he feels "unprotected" and disconnected from the government.
He adds that the movement is more than just politics: "I've been robbed twice, and I live in a supposedly safe district."
For many, the 'One Piece' flag symbolises unity against corrupt regimes.
The manga series, with hundreds of millions of copies sold worldwide, follows a group of pirates fighting against an authoritarian global government.
related news
by Alba Santana, AFP
Comments