Peruvian police and military repelled on Thursday an attempt to seize the airport in Arequipa, the country’s second most populous city, by protesters demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, although clashes continue on the outskirts.
Clashes between police and military and demonstrators lasted several hours and, according to the report, an airplane and armored vehicles from the Armed Forces participated in the control work at the airport.
For its part, the Peruvian Ministry of the Interior reported on Twitter that the police “thwarted an attempt to take over the premises of the Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón airport”.
“The mob that attacked the troops deployed at the air terminal were repelled through the application of institutional protocols,” he added.
As a result of the clashes, several demonstrators were injured, according to the report, although there is still no official data.
Protesters destroyed several security fences near Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón airport, started small fires and threw stones at police officers.
In response, the police fired tear gas and projectiles to repel these acts.
This Thursday morning, the Ministry of Transport and Communications announced the closure of the airport “to safeguard the integrity of citizens and the safety of aeronautical operations”, after the clashes registered earlier in the day.
The Cuzco airport also suspended operations due to the protests and the local press reported another attempted attack on the airport in Juliaca, in the south of the country.
Protests against the government total 53 dead since the beginning of December and for this Thursday the march for the “taking of Lima” was called, where hundreds of Peruvians arrived from various parts of the country to demand the resignation of Boluarte, the closure of the Congress and the call for early elections and a Constituent Assembly.
With information from Gazeta do Povo