Carrying a giant flag and anti-government slogans, protesters march towards the opposition-dominated Congress in Lima
LIMA, Peru – Thousands of people took to the streets of Peru on Saturday November 5 to demand the resignation of the embattled president Pedro Castilloa leftist whose government is under investigation for corruption.
Carrying the vertically striped red-white-red flag of the Andean nation and placards with anti-government slogans, protesters marched towards the opposition-dominated Congress in the capital Lima.
Castillo called those who oppose his government “reactionaries” and “enemies of the people.”
Police equipped with helmets and plastic shields threw several tear gas canisters in an attempt to disperse the crowd. No injuries were reported immediately.
Castillo, who took office last July, has already survived two impeachment attempts. Opposition lawmakers are calling for a new trial against the president, even though Congress has acknowledged he won’t get enough votes.
“We see a government embroiled in corruption and Congress not responding,” said Lucas Ghersi, a conservative lawyer who is one of the organizers of the march, called Peru Reacts.
In October, Peru’s attorney general filed a constitutional complaint against Castillo with Congress, which the right-wing opposition hopes will result in his removal.
Discontent is rising in Peru. “I come for my children, for my grandchildren, because this government is becoming hell,” said Maria del Pilar Blancas.
“They want us to become just one more Venezuela,” she said, referring to the South American neighbor that has gone into economic freefall.
Similar protests took place in other cities across the country, including Arequipa, Chiclayo, Cusco and Trujillo, according to reports and images released by local TV station Canal N. – Rappler.com
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