Peru decrees a state of emergency nationwide for 30 days

MADRID, 14 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Peruvian Defense Minister, Luis Alberto Otarola, has announced this Wednesday that the Andean Government has decided to declare a state of emergency at the national level for a period of 30 days as a response to the protests in support of former President Pedro Castillo.

According to Otarola, during this period, the National Police must be in charge of maintaining internal order in the country in collaboration with the Armed Forces, as reported by the Peruvian radio station RPP.

The Defense Minister considers that this is a "forceful and authoritative" response measure by the Peruvian authorities to the recent violent protests that have taken place in various regions of the country.

Already on Wednesday, the current president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, pointed to the possibility of extending the current state of emergency -- in force only in the regions of Ica, Arequipa and Apurímac -- to the entire territory of Peru.

The clashes between the Police and the protesters have already led the president to declare a state of emergency for 60 days in the three aforementioned regions, the epicenter of the violent protests in which at least six civilian deaths have already been confirmed.

Currently there are already four airports in Peru - those of Cusco, Puno, Arequipa and Apurímac - that have been closed. For its part, the company PerúRail also confirmed the stoppage of the trains that connect with Machu Picchu, one of the main tourist attractions in the country.

Thousands of people are protesting in the south of the country for the dismissal of former President Castillo in response to what the Executive has called a "coup d'état." The protests also demand that the new government call for presidential elections.