Peru govt declares state of emergency

LIMA — Peru's new government declared a nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday over violent protests against the ouster and arrest of former president Pedro Castillo that have left at least eight people dead.

Castillo's supporters have taken to the streets and set up roadblocks countrywide in protests that have also left 200 injured as they demand his release and the holding of early elections, the latest in a series of political crises the world's second-largest copper producer has faced in recent years.

The Andean nation plunged into crisis last week when Castillo tried to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, but was quickly impeached by lawmakers and arrested.

The new President Dina Boluarte has struggled to quell tensions, and has now called for the next election — normally due in 2026 — to be brought forward to December 2023, after an earlier bid to hold them in 2024 failed to halt the protests.

Boluarte, speaking to reporters from the presidential palace, called for peace and said "we can't have a dialogue if there's violence between us".

Defense Minister Alberto Otarola announced the new 30-day state of emergency due to "acts of vandalism and violence" and roadblocks, and said police and the armed forces "would have control of the whole territory".

He said the measure involved "the suspension of the freedom of movement and assembly" and could also include a nighttime curfew.

Boluarte's government also spoke with a slate of officials from the region on Wednesday, likely looking to shore up international support as the leader has faced criticism from some Latin American leaders, Reuters reported.

Prosecutors said on Wednesday that they were seeking 18 months of pretrial detention for Castillo, who has been charged with rebellion and conspiracy. Peru's Supreme Court met to consider the request, but later suspended the session until Thursday.

Castillo in detention

Judge Juan Checkley also ordered Castillo to remain in detention for another 48 hours.

Castillo said on social media that he would petition the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to "intercede".

The former schoolteacher was in power for only 17 months in the South American nation, which is prone to political instability and is now on its sixth president in six years.

His short period in office was marked by a power struggle with the opposition-dominated Congress, and six investigations into him and his family mainly for corruption.

Protesters have set up roadblocks in numerous regions.

The worst-hit areas are in the north and south, including the region of Cusco, a tourism lure that is home to the Machu Picchu Inca citadel and Peru's second city, Arequipa.

In Lima, dozens of demonstrators threw stones at the police on Tuesday evening as they tried to reach Congress, with police firing tear gas to disperse them.

Eight people, mostly teenagers, have died in clashes with the police, authorities said.

Indigenous and agrarian organizations called an indefinite strike to begin on Tuesday, forcing the train service between the city of Cusco and Machu Picchu to be suspended.

Officials said nearly 800 tourists of varying nationalities had become stranded in the town at the base of the mountain where Machu Picchu, the most important attraction in Peruvian tourism and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located.

"I was meant to leave Cusco yesterday by train and take a flight to Lima to go home, but now the situation is not clear," a Belgian tourist, who only gave his name as Walter, told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday.

The train service that connects the famed Incan temple with Cusco is the only way to get to Machu Picchu.

The small town's mayor Darwin Baca called for humanitarian help from the government, seeking helicopters to help evacuate tourists from the United States, Mexico and Spain.

Agencies - Xinhua