Peru’s protests turn deadly; interim government refuses to resign

The Peruvian capital of Lima has been the scene of deadly violence as thousands of protesters flocked to the streets again to condemn the ouster of former president Martin Vizcarra, with the central government continuing to defend the deposition as “constitutional.”

The protesters rallied peacefully in several locations in downtown Lima on Saturday but the demonstrations began to grow more intense later in the day.

Chanting for the resignation of interim government of President Manuel Merino, the demonstrators started throwing rocks and fireworks at police and security forces, who fired back with tear gas to disperse them.

Similar protests, mostly by youngsters, were also staged in various cities across the Latin American country to oppose what they call a parliamentary coup against the ousted president.

Dozens injured as Peru protesters, police clash amid political crisis

Clashes between Peruvian protesters and police injure at least 27 amid a new unrest over the ouster of its president by lawmakers.

Archbishop of the western Trujillo State, Miguel Cabrejos, urged the government to engage in dialog and respect the right to protest.

"It is essential to listen and attend to the cries and the clamor of the population to regain confidence, tranquility and social peace," he said in a statement.

An official monitor said on Saturday that at least one man was shot dead and three others were injured in the increasingly violent protests, which were triggered after the abrupt impeachment of Vizcarra over corruption allegations by opposition-dominated Congress last week.

Earlier in the day, Peruvian Prime Minister Antero Flores Araoz said Vizcarra's removal had been legal and that the interim president had no intention of caving to resignation demands from protesters.

"This was a constitutional change," Flores Araoz said. "We ask people for understanding. We don´t want to descend into chaos and anarchy."

Peru’s president impeached out of office over corruption

Peru’s congress votes to impeach President Martin Vizcarra over corruption, prompting tensions in the Latin American country.

Some of the largest anti-government protests in decades roiled the Peruvian capital this week, with dozens injured in clashes between police and protesters. Human rights groups have accused police of using excessive force as they used teargas and rubber bullets on numerous occasions to contain the unrest.

Vizcarra, a politically unaffiliated centrist who was popular with voters, was ousted on Monday in an impeachment trial over accusations of receiving bribes, charges that he has strongly denied but vowed not to challenge in court.

Merino, an agronomist and businessman, assumed office on Tuesday as Peru's third president in four years, calling for calm and assuring Peruvians that the presidential election would be held as planned on April 11, 2021, and he would leave power on July 28, the day when Vizcarra's mandate was to end.

Peru's congress speaker takes over presidency amid protests

Peru has plunged into political turmoil as the country’s Congress swears-in a new president following the impeachment of Martin Vizcarra over corruption allegations.

Vizcarra reportedly oversaw an anti-graft campaign that led to frequent quarrels with legislators in a country that has a history of political upheaval and corruption. A judge ordered Vizcarra on Friday not to leave Peru while prosecutors probe the allegations against him.

Vizcarra’s ouster plunged the world’s No. 2 copper producer into political crisis as it looks to recover from an economic recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

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