{"id":955669,"date":"2023-01-13T16:17:12","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T16:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/therealnews.com\/?p=294770"},"modified":"2023-01-13T16:17:12","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T16:17:12","slug":"peruvian-security-forces-massacre-17-protesters-in-juliaca-puno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2023\/01\/13\/peruvian-security-forces-massacre-17-protesters-in-juliaca-puno\/","title":{"rendered":"Peruvian security forces massacre 17 protesters in Juliaca, Puno"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:30% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/therealnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/PD-Logo.png?resize=780%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Peoples Dispatch logo\" class=\"wp-image-289490 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/therealnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/PD-Logo.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/therealnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/PD-Logo.png?resize=300%2C87&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/therealnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/PD-Logo.png?resize=768%2C222&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/therealnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/PD-Logo.png?resize=400%2C116&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/therealnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/PD-Logo.png?resize=706%2C204&amp;ssl=1 706w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><em>This story originally appeared in <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/peoplesdispatch.org\/2023\/01\/10\/peruvian-security-forces-massacre-17-protesters-in-juliaca-puno\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Peoples Dispatch<\/a><em> on January 10, 2023. It is shared here with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">On Monday, January 9, Peruvian security forces brutally repressed an anti-government protest in Juliaca, a city in southern Peru\u2019s Puno region, killing at least 17 protesters and leaving at least 68 others severely injured. The dead included at least two teenagers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to reports from local media, Peruvian police and military officers opened fire on thousands of protesters who had occupied the Juliaca airport as a part of nationwide protests demanding the release of former left-wing President Pedro Castillo, the resignation of de-facto President Dina Boluarte, the dissolution of the right-wing dominated unicameral Congress, fresh parliamentary elections, and a new constitution through a Constituent Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignright\"><blockquote><p>This was the second massacre at the hands of Peruvian security forces in one month of social protests demanding structural changes to the country\u2019s political system.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Photos and videos shared on social media networks showed victims bleeding from their heads, with pellet wounds on different body parts, people carrying people with severe injuries on their backs and in their vehicles to help them get to hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was the second massacre at the hands of Peruvian security forces in one month of social protests demanding structural changes to the country\u2019s political system. On December 15, 2022, the security forces massacred ten people and severely injured 52 others in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/peoplesdispatch.org\/2023\/01\/04\/they-shot-them-down-like-animals-massacre-in-perus-ayacucho\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ayacucho<\/a>, while trying to unblock the local airport which was occupied by protesting residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"es\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PUNO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PUNO<\/a> | Im\u00e1genes dolorosas. Un asesinado y decenas de heridos tras brutal represi\u00f3n a la ciudadan\u00eda que rechaza acciones del gobierno de Dina Boluarte y reclama el cierre del Congreso. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VocesComunitarias?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#VocesComunitarias<\/a><br>Fotos: Mas Nina \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PachamamaRadio_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PachamamaRadio_<\/a> <img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/14.0.0\/72x72\/1f447.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\udc47\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/><img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/14.0.0\/72x72\/1f9f5.png\" alt=\"\ud83e\uddf5\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CjVsBaXpXL\">pic.twitter.com\/CjVsBaXpXL<\/a><\/p>&mdash; <img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/14.0.0\/72x72\/1f1f5-1f1ea.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddea\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> Wayka<img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/14.0.0\/72x72\/1f4e2.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\udce2\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> (@WaykaPeru) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WaykaPeru\/status\/1612550949809037349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 9, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With the latest victims, the death toll from state repression of anti-government protests rose to 46.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Peru\u2019s Ombudsman Office requested the public order forces to comply with international standards in using force against protests and urged the Prosecutor\u2019s Office to carry out a rapid investigation into the deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CIDH\/status\/1612840487701848064?s=20&amp;t=jv6AA3IbK5JU4ecrJNWB0w\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">condemned<\/a>&nbsp;the death of people in Juliaca, and urged the Peruvian State to take immediate measures to prevent and punish the excessive use of force in social protests; and to continue generating effective mechanisms of dialog to address social conflict and prevent violence. IACHR also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CIDH\/status\/1612562407670284288?s=20&amp;t=jv6AA3IbK5JU4ecrJNWB0w\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a>&nbsp;that it would send another delegation to Peru to visit Lima and other cities from Wednesday to Friday to evaluate the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Peru also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OACNUDHPeru\/status\/1612592244271513602?s=20&amp;t=-HwJXaAFp5zeQEeSb71WaQ\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expressed<\/a>&nbsp;its \u201cdeep concern over the escalation of violence in Peru,\u201d and called for the adoption of urgent \u201cmeasures to prevent more violence and ensure respect for human rights in the context of peaceful demonstrations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-popular-resistance\"><strong>Popular resistance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Since January 4, tens of thousands of people, mainly from Indigenous and peasant communities, have been taking to the streets and organizing roadblocks in different parts of the country to express their rejection of the Boluarte government, demand respect for their vote and reinstatement of their democratically elected president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Castillo was overthrown in a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/peoplesdispatch.org\/2022\/12\/08\/coup-in-peru-president-pedro-castillo-overthrown-by-conservative-congress\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legislative coup<\/a>&nbsp;carried out by the right-wing opposition majority Congress on December 7, after he tried to dissolve Congress and rule by decree. He was swiftly arrested following his dismissal for allegedly \u201cbreaching constitutional order.\u201d On December 15, the Peruvian judiciary&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/peoplesdispatch.org\/2022\/12\/18\/as-resistance-to-coup-continues-perus-judiciary-extends-detention-of-pedro-castillo-by-18-months\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">extended<\/a>&nbsp;Castillo\u2019s preventive detention to 18 months on the Prosecutor\u2019s Office\u2019s request, which is investigating him for the crime of rebellion, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Puno, Arequipa, Cusco and Tacna are among the regions where massive anti-government protests have been taking place following the resumption of an indefinite national strike after the New Year break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the massacre in Juliaca, the Indigenous and peasant communities along with several popular movements, social organizations, student associations, and trade unions called for the intensification of protest actions against the Boluarte government, and a march to the capital Lima to press for her resignation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the evening, thousands of people demonstrated in the streets and organized&nbsp;<em>cacerolazos<\/em>&nbsp;in Arequipa, Apurimac, Cusco, Puno and San Miguel. A&nbsp;<em>cacerolazo<\/em>&nbsp;is a form of protest in which demonstrators make noise by banging utensils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"es\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AREQUIPA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AREQUIPA<\/a> | Ciudadan\u00eda realiza plant\u00f3n frente a la comisar\u00eda de Yanahuara en Arequipa. Les gritan asesinos a los miembros de la PNP, tras represi\u00f3n en la regi\u00f3n de Puno que ha dejado a 12 civiles muertos. Anuncian bloqueos y viaje a Lima. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VocesComunitarias?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#VocesComunitarias<\/a><br><img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/14.0.0\/72x72\/1f4fd.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\udcfd\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZintiaFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ZintiaFL<\/a> \/ Wayka <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/foPMl4UjaL\">pic.twitter.com\/foPMl4UjaL<\/a><\/p>&mdash; <img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/14.0.0\/72x72\/1f1f5-1f1ea.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddea\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> Wayka<img src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/14.0.0\/72x72\/1f4e2.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\udce2\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> (@WaykaPeru) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WaykaPeru\/status\/1612608853937459200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 10, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"es\" dir=\"ltr\">Cacerolazo en San Miguel por los asesinatos en Juliaca. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/DinaRenunciaYa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#DinaRenunciaYa<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/DinaAsesina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#DinaAsesina<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GuPL3bHCPT\">pic.twitter.com\/GuPL3bHCPT<\/a><\/p>&mdash; No a Keiko (@noakeikope) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/noakeikope\/status\/1612652798792843264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 10, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>Boluarte\u2019s response<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Speaking at a press conference from a \u201cnational agreement\u201d meeting on Monday with representatives from the country\u2019s regions and various political institutions, Boluarte said she doesn\u2019t understand why people are protesting. She said that she could not respond to all the demands of the protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have already explained to you that the four political points are not in my hands. The only thing that was in my hands was the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/peoplesdispatch.org\/2022\/12\/23\/peruvian-congress-approves-bill-to-advance-general-elections-as-anti-coup-protests-intensify\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">advancement of elections<\/a>, which we have already proposed,\u201d said Boluarte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignright\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;Mrs. Dina Boluarte, how can you continue in office and claim a &#8216;national dialogue&#8217; at the same time that the &#8216;law enforcement agencies&#8217; shoot to kill our compatriots? Resign now!\u201d<\/p><cite>Ver\u00f3nika Mendoza, former presidential candidate for the progressive New Peru movement<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Constituent Assembly does not pass through the hands of the Executive [president]. If, with this pretext, they are taking to the streets, the brothers from the regions where there are acts of violence, they are deceiving themselves,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, she continued criminalizing the protests, without apologizing for unleashing brutal repression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat you are asking for is a pretext to continue generating chaos in the cities. In peace and order everything can be achieved, in the midst of violence and chaos it gets more complicated, it becomes difficult,\u201d said Boluarte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>National criticism<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Meanwhile, the Boluarte administration\u2019s handling of the protests was widely criticized by various political leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vladimir Cerr\u00f3n, progressive leader and the founder of Free Peru party that sponsored Castillo\u2019s presidential candidacy in 2021, called for Boluarte\u2019s resignation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDina, you should quit! The longer you are in power, the worse your legal situation will be, if with 28 deaths you had doubts and you have a prosecutor\u2019s file investigating you for those crimes, with these 12 more deaths they could send you to prison for decades, while others benefit,\u201d Cerr\u00f3n&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VLADIMIR_CERRON\/status\/1612590036150534145?s=20&amp;t=rHBqSzDFqeJhvujVimoyew\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeted<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With respect to her response that she couldn\u2019t address protesters\u2019 key demands, Cerr\u00f3n explained how she actually can. \u201cThere are two paths: 1. A bill from the Executive to the Legislative, without going through commission due to the urgency of the case, the people convene outside Congress and the plenary vote, and 2. Return to the 1979 Constitution (Article 307) and convenes a Constituent Assembly,\u201d he&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VLADIMIR_CERRON\/status\/1612608596214427649?s=20&amp;t=Lvp-Om-_U_TwDOG1zWxjqQ\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ver\u00f3nika Mendoza, former presidential candidate for the progressive New Peru movement, also criticized Boluarte\u2019s response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStop the massacre in Puno! There are already close to 40 Peruvians assassinated in less than a month of [a new] government! Mrs. Dina Boluarte, how can you continue in office and claim a &#8216;national dialogue&#8217; at the same time that the &#8216;law enforcement agencies&#8217; shoot to kill our compatriots? Resign now!\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Vero_Mendoza_F\/status\/1612625884531560448?s=20&amp;t=3199kYEUTBfuwogdGRTL_Q\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tweeted<\/a>&nbsp;Mendoza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGiven the critical situation we are going through, Dina Boluarte and the president of Congress must leave their positions so that\u2014with a new board of directors of Congress\u2014a transitional government can be built hand in hand with a broad platform of social and political organizations. From there, the elections should be brought forward to 2023 and a referendum to consult the people whether or not they want a new Constitution be called. By now we should all be clear that repression does not solve anything, it only exacerbates the conflict,\u201d she&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Vero_Mendoza_F\/status\/1612625886150553600?s=20&amp;t=JYZ7pVMN06YRx0LX1TvZHg\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">added<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/therealnews.com\/peruvian-security-forces-massacre-17-protesters-in-juliaca-puno\">The Real News Network<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the victims of the massacre in Juliaca, the death toll in Peru from state repression of the anti-government protests rises to 46.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5411,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1775,4772,5582,55805,12604],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955669"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5411"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=955669"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":955905,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955669\/revisions\/955905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=955669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=955669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=955669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}