Fierce clashes erupt in Peru; heavy police force deployed in Lima amid protesters' march

Amid the ongoing protest in Peru, thousands of police officers were deployed in the capital city of Lima on Thursday as hundreds of protesters marched towards the downtown area. While fierce clashes erupted in the southern city of Arequipa, as CNN reports. The country has been seeing its worst violence in decades, which erupted following the December ousting of former President Pedro Castillo, who is currently in pre-trial detention.

Amid the fierce clash, smoke was seen billowing from the fields surrounding Arequipa's international airport. The flights were also suspended flights on Thursday as several people tried to tear down fences. Protesters shouted "assassins" at the advancing police and pelted rocks.

 Around 11,800 police officers were deployed in Lima, with key locations such as the parliament, the prosecutor's office, select TV stations, the Supreme Court and the army headquarters receiving extra protection, informed General Victor Sanabria, head of Peru's National Police for the Lima region.

The protesters are demanding new elections, a change to the constitution and the resignation of President Dina Boluarte. On January 15, the government declared an emergency in several parts of the country, including the capital Lima. The outrage initially sparked by the country's political instability intensified as the death toll ticks upward. At least 53 people have died in the unrest since Peru's protest movement which began in December, and a further 772 have been injured, as per the national Ombudsman's office, reported CNN.

Why are Peruvians protesting

In December last year, Peru's then-President Pedro Castillo was forced out of office after he attempted to temporarily suspend Congress in a bid to avoid impeachment. Castillo, a former teacher, who led Peru into the Latin American "Pink Tide" faced a number of corruption allegations. He, however, has rejected the allegations as "political revenge". 

Amid the chaos Castillo’s vice-president Dina Boluarte was sworn in the office as his replacement and Castillo was transferred to Barbadillo prison, located on the outskirts of Lima. The news of his arrest sent shockwaves in the rural areas of the country, where Castillo was extremely popular. People in the rural Andes and poor neighbourhoods of the capital Lima took to the streets in protests which turned violent almost immediately.

Boluarte has pledged to conduct general elections soon. However, the promises have failed to assuage protestors who are said to have grown only more violent. The imposition of emergency in the capital of Lima follows the government's police curfew orders in the area. The declaration of emergency will let Peruvian authorities suspend some civil liberties, including freedom of movement and assembly.