The death of another person this Thursday, the 19th, brought to 54 the total number of deaths in the protests that have taken place in Peru since December last year, in the latter case, the death occurred during clashes between protesters and security forces in Arequipa, the second most populous city in the country.
“We regret the death of a person during the clashes on the Añashuayco bridge, located in the north of the city (of Arequipa),” the Public Ombudsman said on Twitter before asking the Public Ministry for a quick investigation of the facts “in order to determine responsibilities.”
This Thursday, Peru faced an intense day of protests in several regions, which include attempts to take over the airports of Arequipa, Cuzco and Juliaca, in addition to a massive mobilization in the historic center of Lima, where clashes with security forces took place.
In Arequipa, police and the military repelled an attempt to take over the airport by demonstrators, although clashes lasted several hours. An Armed Forces plane and armored vehicles would have participated in the airport control work.
This Thursday morning, the Ministry of Transport and Communications announced the closure of Arequipa’s airport “to safeguard the integrity of citizens and the safety of aeronautical operations”, after the clashes registered earlier in the day.
Cuzco airport also suspended operations due to the protests, and local press reported another attempted invasion of Juliaca airport, in the Puno region.
Demonstrations in Peru began on December 7, when Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency by constitutional succession after Pedro Castillo’s failed self-coup and, after a Christmas truce, gained strength from January 4, mainly in the south of the country.
With information from EFE/Jovem Pan