Peruvian government declares state of emergency

By James Blears

The National State of Emergency, which lasts thirty days, grants extraordinary powers to Peruvian authorities. The police and military can perform searches without judicial warrants and have almost unlimited powers of detention.

The move has been justified by Minister of Defence Luis Otarola, who says the situation “requires an authoritative response.”

Former president Pedro Castillo, who was ousted on 7 December, had tried to dissolve Congress, which impeached him on its third attempt.

He was arrested and accused of rebellion, and is now being held in prison.

Once his running mate, then Vice President, and now the national leader, Dina Boluarte has been sworn in to replace him. She is starkly warning, “We lived through this in the 1980s and 1990s, and we don’t want to return to that painful history. Peru cannot overflow with blood.”

Supporters of Pedro Castillo have blocked streets in the capital, Lima, and in other cities. They have been holding protest rallies demanding Castillo’s release, that Congress be dissolved, and that elections for a new Congress and a new President take place immediately.

Meanwhile, instability continues to rack Peru.