South American nation’s president calls out ‘foreign infiltrators’

Peru’s head of state, Dina Boluarte, is seeking a probe into the role of alleged provocateurs in recent deadly protests

Foreign actors may have been involved in the deadly unrest that has gripped Peru for over a month now, President Dina Boluarte has claimed. In a speech on Friday, she apologized for the violent clashes, which have caused more than 40 deaths, but insisted that she will not step down.

Boluarte said that “The country deserves to know, that is why we also salute the investigations that the Public Ministry has undertaken to identify the responsibilities.” She explained that the government is offering all necessary support to ensure that the probes get to the truth in a timely manner.

The president then added: “But what about the foreign provocateurs and infiltrators?” She expressed hope that the potential involvement of such actors will be thoroughly investigated.

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Responding to calls for her resignation from left-wing party leaders, she insisted that she will not step down and pledged that the authorities will do better in the future.

Boluarte noted that she had invited watchdogs from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), as the government “has nothing to hide.”

Violent protests have been raging in Peru since early December, after former President Pedro Castillo was removed from office and jailed over accusations of corruption. Castillo has denied any wrongdoing, and claims his ouster was orchestrated by political opponents who want to subvert the will of voters.

According to officials, 47 people have died in the clashes so far. On Wednesday, a police officer was killed and his corpse burned inside a patrol car, while another sustained serious injuries in the south of the country.