MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru: Six arrested in third Lima Takeover demonstration

The demonstrators want Boluarte's resignation and fresh elections

At least six people have been arrested and eight others were injured Wednesday during the third “Lima Takeover” demonstration seeking President Dina Boluarte's resignation, the release from prison of former President Pedro Castillo Terrones, a constitutional reform, and the holding of fresh elections.

“Around 6,000 people marched for reasons of vindication and others because they want to work. And that is important for them to see how democracy is defended in the country we live in. Today again our Police have shown high professionalism,” Interior Minister Vicente Romero said in a broadcast interview.

Romero also pointed out that one of the suspects under arrest had thrown a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement officers. Among the injured are four policemen and four civilians. The minister praised the country's security forces for preventing the protests “from escalating”.

The demonstrators also demanded condemnation for the deaths during other protests nationwide earlier this year following Castillo's Dec. 7 impeachment after he tried to stage a coup d'état and dissolve Congress.

Riots were reported Wednesday afternoon in Huancavelica, where demonstrators set fire to the door of the local prefecture and clashed with police who used tear gas to disperse them. The National University of Huancavelica was also taken over by students as a protest against the Government and Congress. No incidents were reported in Puno and Arequipa, unlike in previous protests.

“We express our rejection of violent actions such as those that occurred in Huancavelica, where objects were recorded burning outside the Regional Prefecture; we call for calm to citizens, violence only delegitimizes the right to protest,” reacted the Ombudsman's Office on Twitter.

Several social organizations filed a constitutional lawsuit against Boluarte, Prime Minister Alberto Otarola, Romero, Defense Minister Jorge Luis Chávez, National Police Chief Jorge Ángulo, and Congress Speaker José Williams Zapata for allegedly violating the right to protest through the arbitrary behavior of the security forces.