Two Peruvian ministers have resigned following the deaths that resulted from the protest sparked by the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo last week.
Education Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Pérez made the announcement on Friday, citing the deaths in the protests.
“This morning I presented my letter of resignation from the position of Minister of Education. The death of compatriots has no justification. State violence cannot be disproportionate and cause death,” Correa said.
The unrest remained in full swing on Friday despite a state of emergency being declared across the country on Wednesday. So far, at least 16 people have been killed, half of whom have been since Thursday during clashes with security forces in the town of Ayacucho.
Protesters have called for the dissolution of the new government under newly elected President Dina Boluarte and early elections.
On Friday, Peru’s national assembly, the Congress, rejected a proposed constitutional reform that would have brought the presidential elections forward to December 2023, one of the main demands of the protesters.
Massive protests throughout Peru over the arrest of former President Castillo; Stranded tourists in Machu Picchu
The resignation of two cabinet ministers has raised questions about the longevity of the new government led by Boluarte, the former vice president, who took office Dec. 7 after Castillo was voted out of office in congress hours after he tried to dissolve Congress.
Castillo faces six corruption investigations and was about to see his third attempt at impeachment. The former president has denied the accusations.
The former president is in pretrial detention for up to 18 months while the Supreme Court-led investigation looks into charges of “rebellion and conspiracy.”
Meanwhile, the people-led unrest has severely crippled the country’s tourism industry. The mayor of Cusco told the AFP news agency that around 5,000 tourists are stranded in the city after the airport was closed when protesters tried to storm the terminal.
(With contributions from agencies)
