Peru: A group of Peruvian lawmakers has submitted a motion seeking to impeach President Ms. Dina Boluarte for her handling of nearly two months of protests following the removal of her predecessor, Mr. Pedro Castillo.
The move to impeach Ms. Boluarte comes in the midst of violent protests following the impeachment and arrest of former President, Mr. Castillo, in which dozens of people have been killed.
According to the legislators, allies of Mr. Castillo, the motion was filed on the grounds of Boluarte’s alleged “permanent moral incapacity.”
The motion is required to be approved by 52 votes before it can be debated in Congress, where it must win two-thirds of the chamber’s support.
“Never in the history of Peru has a government in so little time, a month in governance, killed more than forty people in protests,” the motion stated, criticising Ms. Boluarte of allowing the abuse and disproportionate use of force, among other accusations.
Earlier, Ms. Boluarte blamed Mr. Castillo, who is in pretrial detention, for promoting political polarisation during his nearly 17 months in power.
According to reports, at least 47 people have died in clashes since the protests began in December 2022, including one police officer, while hundreds have been injured. Security forces reported that protesters, mostly in Peru’s southern Andes, used homemade weapons and explosives.
The protesters, who support the former president, were demanding Boluarte’s resignation, immediate elections, and the dissolution of Congress.