Thousands of demonstrators gathered at various points in Lima, demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and an early election, following the attempted self-coup by former president Pedro Castillo. According to Clarin magazine, a total of 55 people died in the riots, most of them in clashes with security forces. The latest fatality occurred yesterday afternoon in clashes between protesters and security forces in Arequipa, Peru’s second city. The protests have grown to the point that the demonstrators are unlikely to be satisfied with Boluarte’s resignation. They are now also demanding structural reform in the face of a high crisis of confidence in the ruling elite.
The World Federation of Trade Unions calls on its members to express their solidarity with the Peruvian people and the country’s class unions and to condemn the undemocratic and authoritarian practices of the regime that continues to abuse power in a practical way.