Peru-Long Memories

Long Memories Peru Peru’s prosecutor’s office dismissed a genocide case against President Dina Boluarte while filing a complaint against her and other officials for the killing of anti-government protesters, Reuters reported Tuesday. The case centers on an incident that follows Boluarte’s accession to the nation’s top job in December 2022, which was marked by mass demonstrations across the country, sparked by the premature resignation of President Pedro Castillo. A government crackdown on the protests killed more than 40 people and left dozens of others injured – the worst death toll in Peru’s democratic history. The office opened the genocide inquiry in January 2023, after weeks of violent scenes in the streets of Lima and other major cities including Juliaca. There, helicopters were filmed dropping tear gas canisters, while on the ground police often shot demonstrators in the head, body, or back, Le Monde reported at the time. The president’s attorney, Joseph Campos, welcomed the prosecution’s decision to shelve the genocide case, saying there were no elements to justify “such a serious classification,” reported El Peruano. The protesters’ violent behavior triggered a constitutional duty to control the demonstrations, Campos added. Meanwhile, the office filed a constitutional complaint against Boluarte for alleged homicide and injuries in the same demonstrations, where it said “grave violations of human rights” occurred, Bloomberg reported. Peru’s parliament will have to review the complaint because it regards a sitting president. Campos expressed hope that lawmakers will dismiss it, too. Besides the violence of the 2022-2023 protests, Boluarte’s tenure has been marred by an investigation for illegal enrichment, locally dubbed Rolexgate because it involved her purchasing Rolex watches she seemingly could not have afforded. Boluarte has denied all wrongdoing. The president, whom Le Monde described as “out of touch with the people,” has a disapproval rate in voter surveys of nearly 90 percent, TeleSur reported.