At least 14 people were killed in heavy protests and confrontations between demonstrators and riot police in the Peruvian city of Juliaca on Monday. According to Peruvian media the number may be twenty. Two of the fatal victims are minors, authorities report.
It has been restless for weeks in several places in Peru. Protesters are demanding that ex-President Pedro Castillo, who was impeached after trying to dissolve Congress, be reinstated. They also say that the current president Dina Boluarte should leave. According to these supporters, Castillo has been the victim of a coup. Castillo is currently detained in the Peruvian capital Lima on suspicion of rebellion.
It is still unclear why there were so many deaths in Juliaca on Monday. Images of injured protesters with bullet wounds are circulating on social media. In the city in the south of Peru, where many of Castillo’s supporters live, military personnel are present in addition to police officers to keep order. According to observation organizations, they are guilty of human rights violations.