Peru: Boluarte Regime's Death Toll Rises to 65

On Monday, the Federation of Coffee Growers and Farmers of Peru will begin an indefinite national strike to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, the closure of congress, and the end of state terrorism.

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This decision was made in the middle of a violent weekend. On Saturday, the Prosecutor's Office acknowledged that 57 people are hospitalized in Lima and 65 people have died since the protests began on December 7, 2022.

One of the most recent victims of the Boluarte regime was Victor Santisteban, a 55-year-old man who died from a shot to the head during the protests. The official autopsy held that his death was related to the impact of a rock-hard object.

This information further inflamed the spirits of Peruvians as social networks showed videos that his murder occurred as a result of police actions. On Sunday, the Prosecutor's Office opened a preliminary investigation for the commission of homicide "in the context of violation of human rights in social protests."

The tweet reads, "In Peru, protests and repression against the people continue. Deaths at the hands of Dina Boluarte's de facto government continue to rise, but the issue is barely making headlines anymore. It's not Cuba, nor Venezuela."

Serious injuries were also reported at the La Victoria district hospital. Among them is Rolando Marca Arango, who is in intensive care due to a gunshot wound to the head. His state of health has a reserved prognosis.

Peruvians began a series of massive protests on December 7, when Congress removed Pedro Castillo from the presidency and appointed Boluarte to replace him. Despite the crisis unleashed since then, Boluarte insists that she will not resign from her position.

On Sunday, however, she announced that she will introduce a bill for early general elections this year, which is a possibility that the right-wing-controlled Congress does not accept.