The IACHR begins its visit to Peru with a meeting with Boluarte

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) began its official visit to Peru on Wednesday, in which it will seek to observe the situation of the anti-government protests that have shaken the country since December and in which 47 people have died, with a meeting with the president Dina Boluarte.

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The delegation sent to the Andean country, led by the vice president of the IACHR and rapporteur for Peru, the Guatemalan Stuardo Ralón, began its “observation visit” with a meeting at the Government Palace, in the historic center of Lima, with Boluarte, with the aim of “receiving information on the current context” in the country.

(The mission is) to have the widest possible listening of all voices

After this meeting, in which Commissioner Joel Hernández also participated, Ralón declared that the idea of the mission is “to have the broadest possible listening to all the voices” of civil society, through an agenda “focused on moving outside from Lima”.

In this regard, he noted that the delegation plans to meet with several congressmen in the capital and move to the regions of Ica and Arequipa, although it is also considering reaching other areas of the country.

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The rapporteur regretted the deaths that occurred in recent days in the protests, “both of people who were demonstrating as well as some member of the security forces”, and affirmed that the delegation will give a press conference on Friday, at the end of its visit to the country, to advance its conclusions.

Several of the wounded and dead as a result of the clashes have gunshot wounds.

This morning, another group from the IACHR delegation, made up of the special rapporteur for freedom of expression, Pedro Vaca, traveled to the Ica region, south of Lima, to meet “with victims and relatives and with social organizations.” .

The visit of this autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) to Peru begins two days after the country lived the bloodiest day since the protests began Last December.

(Protests in Peru: deaths and destruction of judicial headquarters in Puno continue)

Boluarte assumed the presidency of the country by constitutional succession after a failed self-coup by his predecessor, Pedro Castillo, who is currently serving preventive detention while being investigated for rebellion.

On Monday in the city of Juliaca, located in the southern region of Puno, bordering Bolivia, the protests demanding the resignation of Boluarte, the closure of Congress and new elections in 2023, among other claims, left 18 dead, which raises the death toll to 47 since December.

Boluarte ratifies his support for the IACHR

For her part, the Peruvian president expressed her support for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for the fulfillment of its work during the visit of this body to the Andean country that has the objective of observing the situation of anti-government protests.

“In the meeting, The president ratified the government’s support for the IACHR for the fulfillment of its work, referring to the clarification of the acts of violence that occurred in the country, and reaffirmed its commitment to continue promoting dialogue and social peace,” the presidential office reported on Twitter.

(You may be interested: Peru decrees a curfew in Puno, the epicenter of the protests)

This Monday there were 18 deaths in the Puno region, in the most violent day of protests.

The meeting at the Government Palace was attended by the Vice President of the IACHR and Rapporteur for Peru, Stuardo Ralón, and Commissioner Joel Hernandez, as well as Foreign Minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi and the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, José Tello, who accompanied the Boluarte.

Due to the harsh clashes between demonstrators and the authorities in recent days, various human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged the authorities to cease the “undue use of force against the civilian population” and to ensure respect for human rights.

For its part, the Peruvian government formalized this Wednesday the imposition of a curfew in the area for three days, from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. the following day, and declared this Wednesday “days of national mourning.”

EFE