On Wednesday, President Dina Boluarte declared a nationwide state of emergency for 30 days in an effort to quell the massive protests that have erupted since Pedro Castillo's ouster.
Her ruling effectively nullifies constitutional protections for assembly, privacy in the home, and freedom of movement. Once her government establishes the legal norms to support such a decision, it could also impose a curfew.
Defense Minister Alberto Otarola defended the emergency declaration by saying it was necessary to prevent "vandalism and violent acts, which are already being controlled by the Police and the Armed Forces."
At a brief press conference held in the courtyard of the Government headquarters in Lima, where a meeting of the Council of Ministers was also taking place, he emphasised the need for "authority and a forceful response from the government."
Boluarte met with U.S. Ambassador to Peru Lisa Kenna on Tuesday, and the Peruvian Presidency reported that Kenna reaffirmed the United States' "full support for democratic institutions and for the constitutional government's actions to stabilise the social situation."
The Peruvian people have been protesting President Dina Boluarte's policies since the weekend. They are demanding that Congress be dissolved, that early elections be held, and that Pedro Castillo be released. Eight people have been killed and dozens injured as a result of the repression so far.
The ex-president of Peru was scheduled to be released from his seven-day pretrial detention on the day the state of emergency was declared.
Nonetheless, a judge decided on Wednesday to keep Castillo in jail for another 48 hours while he reviews the prosecutor's request to jail Castillo for 18 months.
