Jerry stated in a brief message broadcast on state television: “The state of emergency approved by the Cabinet will come into effect at midnight on Wednesday and will last for 30 days in Greater Lima and Callao.” Earlier, Prime Minister Ernesto Alvarez said that the declaration of emergency would not be a “useless formal measure,” affirming that the government has prepared plans that will be announced in the coming hours, with the possibility of imposing a curfew.
Protests began last week in central Lima, where demonstrators clashed with police and set fire to garbage, while security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets, according to a Sputnik news agency correspondent. The main demands of the protesters included the departure of the new President Jose Jerry and current members of Congress, considering that the executive and legislative authorities are involved in corruption cases and seek to control the judiciary, the public prosecutor’s office, and the constitutional court.
The Office of the Secretary-General for Citizens’ Rights reported that one person was killed and 102 others were injured, including 24 civilians and 78 security personnel. Authorities confirmed that the protester killed in the city center died from gunfire by a police officer, while one of the injured, who was shot in the head, is in a coma at Archbishop Loayza Hospital.
President Jerry expressed sorrow for the death of the person on the “X” platform, confirming that the incident will be “objectively” investigated, and considered that the violence was caused by “criminals who infiltrated a peaceful demonstration to incite chaos.” Jerry’s new presidency, which promised to prioritize combating crime, is also facing personal scandals, including corruption accusations and a sexual assault case that was later suspended, while the previous congress under his leadership received similarly low ratings.
