International

Fresh clashes in Lima as president seeks ‘truce’

Photo: ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP

January 25 | By AFP |

Peru’s President Dina Boluarte called Tuesday for a “national truce” to end weeks of nationwide unrest, while a major march in the capital calling for her resignation and fresh elections again resulted in violent clashes with police.

Thousands of Peruvians from Andean regions, many in traditional dress, marched in central Lima chanting “Dina assassin,” blaming her for the deaths of 46 people, mainly demonstrators, since protests broke out last month.

The march turned violent Tuesday evening when protesters, some carrying metal shields, threw stones while police responded with tear gas, according to AFP journalists on the scene.

Multiple people were arrested and several were injured, including two photographers, one with AFP, who were hit by pellets and stones.

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Many Peruvians remain angry at the December 7 ouster of then-president Pedro Castillo, who was arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.

Boluarte, the vice president under Castillo, immediately assumed power.

Protests quickly broke out, largely fueled by anger in poor rural regions in the south where inhabitants — mainly Indigenous — felt that Castillo, who has Indigenous roots himself, represented their interests rather than those of the Lima elite.

Demonstrators have kept up weeks of protests and roadblocks and are also demanding the dissolution of Congress and the rewriting of the constitution.

Another day of protests was already planned for Wednesday in numerous cities throughout the country.

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Earlier in the day, Boluarte called for “a national truce to allow for the establishment of dialogue, to fix the agenda for each region and develop our towns.”

Speaking at a press conference with foreign media, a visibly emotional Boluarte apologized several times for those killed in the protests, but ruled out resigning.

“I will go once we have called a general election… I have no intention of remaining in power.”

Under Peru’s current constitution, the president cannot run for immediate reelection.

No ‘truce’

Boluarte said she was sure Congress would agree in February to advance elections, currently scheduled for April 2024.

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Asked about her possible resignation, Boluarte scoffed at the idea that it would “solve the crisis and the violence.”

On Tuesday evening, authorities announced that the Cusco airport, a gateway to the country’s famed Machu Pichu tourist site, was once again closed due to protests in the mountainous region.

Back in Lima, 35-year-old protester Carlos Avedano said Boluarte’s message was “pitiful.”

“The Peruvian people, all of us, we are not going to have a truce,” he said.

“The only thing that the people want is that she resigns and that there are new elections.”

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Police fired tear gas to repel demonstrators heading towards Congress, AFP journalists saw.

At least one person was bleeding from their head and an injured woman was heard screaming near an ambulance.

One protester carried a big doll with a bloody knife in its hand and a picture of Boluarte attached.

Boluarte is due to have a video meeting with the Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Peru.

Her government has come under fire from rights groups over alleged repression of protests and the disproportionate use of force by security forces.

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Castillo ‘no victim’

Boluarte has called a state of emergency in Peru, allowing the army to assist police in maintaining order.

“I will appear before the OAS to tell the truth. The Peruvian government and especially Dina Boluarte have nothing to hide,” she said.

Boluarte claims some of the protesters were killed by ammunition that is not used by the police.

The president said the deaths “hurt me, as a woman, a mother and a daughter.”

She also hit out at her predecessor Castillo, saying he sparked unrest by trying to broaden his powers in a bid to avoid an impeachment vote and stave off corruption investigations.

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“It suited him to stage a coup d’etat so he could play the victim and mobilize all this paramilitary apparatus so as not to answer before the public prosecutor for the acts of corruption that he is accused of,” said Boluarte.

“There is no victim here, Mr Castillo. There is a bleeding country because of your irresponsibility.”

Boluarte is from the same left-wing party as Castillo and was his running mate during his successful 2021 election campaign. She served as his vice president before replacing him.

International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.