At least one man was killed at a rally in Peru's capital on Wednesday, said President José Jeri, as angry protests against the country’s political elite rage on.
Youth-led demonstrations have brought thousands of Peruvians onto the streets in Lima and several other cities, voicing frustration over the authorities' failure to resolve a worsening crime crisis.
Peru's Ombudsman's Office updated its injury count to 102 people, including 78 police officers and 24 civilians.
As the day went dark, some protesters tried to breach the security barrier around Congress, said an AFP correspondent. Others in the crowd also hurled stones and lit fireworks. Police in riot gear responded with tear gas.
"I regret the death of 32-year-old citizen Eduardo Ruiz Sanz," Jeri commented on social media platform X, without providing details about the circumstances.
AFP images showed a police officer’s face covered in blood after being hit by a stone.
Jeri also said the "peaceful demonstration" was infiltrated by criminals seeking to "cause chaos."
Peru has been rocked by protests for weeks, and lawmakers voted on Friday to impeach then-president Dina Boluarte, who critics blamed for a surge in crime and accused of corruption.
"I think there is general discontent because nothing has been done," said 49-year-old freelancer Amanda Meza while marching toward Congress.
"There's no security from the state," she continued, adding that cases of extortion and contract killings "have grown massively in Peru."
Jeri, a right-wing politician who had served as leader of Congress, took office as interim president until elections in April.
The protests on Wednesday were organised by youth-led groups, artists, and labour unions.
Feminist organisations also participated in the demonstrations against the new president over sexual assault accusations. A complaint was filed against Jeri last year, but prosecutors dismissed the case in August due to lack of evidence
Boluarte’s impeachment last week came after protests by bus companies, students, and merchants against criminal gangs and attacks on those who refuse to pay protection money.
Extortion and contract killings have become a part of daily life across Peru. Gangs such as Los Pulpos and Venezuela's Tren de Aragua, which operates across Latin America, hold people from all walks of life for ransom.
Jeri has pledged to "declare war" on organized crime in an effort to reduce the pressure from the protests.
– TIMES/AFP
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