Ayacucho massacre

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Ayacucho massacre
Part of December 2022 Peruvian protests
LocationAyacucho, Peru
Date15 December 2022; 17 months ago (2022-12-15)
TargetProtesters
Attack type
Massacre
WeaponsFirearms
Deaths7
Injured52
PerpetratorsPeruvian Army

The Ayacucho massacre was a massacre perpetrated by the Peruvian Army against demonstrators during the December 2022 Peruvian protests. At least 7 were killed and 52 were injured during the event.

Background

Self-coup attempt

Main article: 2022 Peruvian self-coup attempt

During the presidencies of Ollanta Humala, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Martín Vizcarra, the right-wing Congress led by the daughter of the former Peruvian dictator Alberto Fujimori, Keiko Fujimori, obstructed much of the actions performed by the presidents.[1][2] During Castillo's presidency, Congress was dominated by right-wing parties opposed to him,[3] with legislators attempting to impeach multiple times using political avenues. Due to broadly interpreted impeachmentwording in the Constitution of Peru (1993), Congress can impeach the president on the vague grounds of "moral incapacity",[4] effectively making the legislature more powerful than the executive branch.[5][6][7][8]

On 7 December 2022, Congress was expected to file a motion of censure against Castillo, accusing him of "permanent moral incapacity".[9] Before the legislative body could gather to file its motion, Castillo announced the dissolution of Congress and enacted an immediate curfew.[9][10] Moments after Castillo's speech, multiple ministers resigned from his government, including Prime Minister Betssy Chávez.[11] The Constitutional Court released a statement: "No one owes obedience to a usurping government and Mr. Pedro Castillo has made an ineffective coup d'état. The Armed Forces are empowered to restore the constitutional order."[12] The Armed Forces also issued a statement rejecting Castillo's actions and calling for the maintenance of stability in Peru.[13] Rejecting Castillo's actions to dissolve the legislative body, Congress gathered and voted to remove Castillo from office due to "moral incapacity" with 101 votes in favor, 6 against and 10 abstentions.[14] It was announced that First Vice President Dina Boluarte, who rejected Castillo's actions, would take her oath of office for the presidency at 3:00 pm PET.[14] Castillo's vice president Dina Boluarte entered the Legislative Palace shortly after 3:00 pm PET and appeared before Congress, where she was later sworn in as president of Peru.[15]

Protests

For Castillo's supporters,[16][17][18] it was the Congress that carried out the coup against the president, due to its opposition coalition consolidating with the political right.[citation needed] In addition, they considered Dina Boluarte a "traitor", "dictator" and "usurper" after her subsequent assumption as the new president of the republic,[19][18][20] based on the promise of the then vice president: "If the president is vacated I will go with the president".[21] In this way, supporters of the former president encouraged the prompt release of Castillo and an advance of elections.[22]

Events

video icon Peruvian Army firing live ammunition at protesters in Ayacucho
video icon Protesters fleeing from troops firing their weapons
video icon A protester shot by troops being taken evacuated from the scene

During protests on 15 December, hundreds of demonstrators approached the Coronel FAP Alfredo Mendívil Duarte Airport, with the Peruvian Armed Forces closing the airport in response, with clashes occurring shortly after.[23][24] In total, some 6,000 protesters took to the streets of Ayacucho according to the regional government.[25] Some protesters were seen with slingshots and stones used to repel authorities.[23] According to the Peruvian ombudsman, a helicopter used by the armed forces began to fire tear gas and gunfire at protesters.[25] Human rights groups reported that members of the Peruvian Army were seen shooting civilians protesting in Ayacucho.[26] According to El País, "The massacre took place around the Alfredo Mendívil Duarte airport. As can be seen in videos broadcast by neighbors, not all the military shot in the air. Proof of this are the seven dead and 52 injured", with the newspaper reporting that the label of terruco was placed upon protesters to delegitimize their actions.[27] The first death occurred in Ñahuinpuquio and after hearing initial reports of civilians being killed by the armed forces, protesters set fire to a local Public Ministry building in the area.[23][28]

Casualties were sent for treatment at the Huamanga Network and in the Ayacucho Regional Hospital.[24] By 11:30 PM PET, a "red alert" was declared by health authorities in the region, requiring healthcare personnel to remain at treatment centers to care for the wounded.[25] The response by authorities caused the collapse of hospital systems in the city, with protesters suffering from gunshot wounds being treated in makeshift triage units, with the regional health system stating "In view of the admission of more injured, tents were expanded and enabled the care and observation of patients, in order to guarantee their care".[23][29] According to the Regional Directorate of Health of Ayacucho, 4 individuals were initially reported being killed.[30] The Ayacucho Regional Health Directorate would later revise their numbers, saying that 7 were killed and 52 were injured.[23][31]

Citizens of Ayacucho responded to the massacre with a cacerolazo at midnight into the morning of 16 December, banging pots in protest of the army.[32]

Response

The Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDDHH) condemned the use of "weapons of war" against protestors, with the NGO sharing a video of authorities using automatic firearms against demonstrators.[33] The National Association of Journalists of Peru denounced the actions of the Peruvian military, stating "[W]e express dismay at the death of 7 compatriots in Ayacucho. We deplore the actions of the armed forces in this context, we express solidarity with the Ayacucho people who suffered decades of horror, and we demand that responsibilities be identified".[34]

President Dina Boluarte expressed condolences for the massacre, stating "We mourn the crying of the mothers in Ayacucho and we suffer the pain of families throughout the country. Today, in a sad day of violence, we again mourn the death of Peruvians. My deep condolences to the bereaved. I reiterate my call for peace."[35] The Government of Ayacucho responded, blaming the Boluarte government for the massacre, demanding that the president and her ministers "must immediately resign from their positions" and stated "We demand the immediate cessation of the use of firearms and repression by the Armed Forces and the Peruvian National Police against our population, we condemn any act of vandalism."[25][27] Governor of Ayacucho Carlos Rua also criticized the state of emergency and curfew, saying "We have to be very careful with the issuance of this type of decrees that, in the end, will generate more deaths", while also saying the army was responsible for the deaths in Ayacucho.[25]

References

  1. ^ Flannery, Nathaniel Parish. "Political Risk Analysis: How Will Peru's Economy Perform In 2017?". Forbes. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  2. ^ "The Political Limits of Presidential Impeachment: Lessons from Latin America". German Institute for Global and Area Studies. 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  3. ^ Benigno, Scott (7 December 2022). "Peruvian Congress to Debate President's Impeachment". Foreign Brief. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  4. ^ "What Just Happened in Peru? Understanding Vizcarra's Sudden Impeachment". Americas Quarterly. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  5. ^ Asensio, Raúl; Camacho, Gabriela; González, Natalia; Grompone, Romeo; Pajuelo Teves, Ramón; Peña Jimenez, Omayra; Moscoso, Macarena; Vásquez, Yerel; Sosa Villagarcia, Paolo (August 2021). El Profe: Cómo Pedro Castillo se convirtió en presidente del Perú y qué pasará a continuación (in Spanish) (1 ed.). Lima, Peru: Institute of Peruvian Studies. p. 92. ISBN 978-612-326-084-2. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  6. ^ Taj, Mitra (7 December 2021). "'Too many mistakes': Peru's president threatened with impeachment after shaky start". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Peru's Keiko Fujimori backs long-shot effort to impeach President Castillo". Reuters. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  8. ^ Tegel, Simeon (15 October 2021). "Can Pedro Castillo Save His Presidency?". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Presidente Pedro Castillo disuelve temporalmente el Congreso de Perú". CNN (in Spanish). 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  10. ^ Quesada, Juan Diego (9 December 2022). "Inside the coup in Peru: 'President, what have you done?'". EL PAÍS English Edition. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Betssy Chavéz presentó su renuncia irrevocable a la PCM tras golpe de Estado de Pedro Castillo". La República. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  12. ^ Chillitupa Tantas, Rodrigo (7 December 2022). "Presidente de Perú disuelve Congreso, declara "gobierno de excepción" y llama a elecciones". Voz de América (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Pedro Castillo cierra el Congreso, en vivo: disolución, mensaje del presidente y últimas noticias". Diario AS (in Spanish). 8 December 2022.
  14. ^ a b PERÚ, NOTICIAS EL COMERCIO (7 December 2022). "EN VIVO | Congreso destituye a Pedro Castillo y tomará juramento a Dina Boluarte a las 3 pm | En Directo | Votos | Dina Boluarte | DINI | Perú Libre | APP | Partidos políticos | congresistas | | POLITICA". El Comercio (Perú) (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  15. ^ Kestler-D'Amours, Ali Harb,Jillian. "Peru's Congress swears in new president after Castillo removed". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 7 December 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Seguidores de Pedro Castillo se manifiestan en Lima: "Lo que vemos ahora es una dictadura"". 24 Horas (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Frente Agrario y Rural del Perú anuncia movilización contra el Congreso este 7 de diciembre". Red de Comunicación Regional (in Spanish). 6 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Aquí están los videos de las fuertes protestas en Perú: la gente del destituido Pedro Castillo pide la renuncia de Dina Boluarte en las calles". Semana (in Spanish). 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  19. ^ "Seguidores de Castillo piden su libertad tras fallido autogolpe". Deutsche Welle (in European Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  20. ^ "Arequipa: manifestantes marchan en contra del Congreso y de la presidenta Dina Boluarte". Infobae (in European Spanish). 7 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  21. ^ "Dina Boluarte y el día que aseguró que renunciaría si Pedro Castillo era vacado por el Congreso". infobae (in European Spanish). 7 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  22. ^ "Protestas en Perú piden liberar a Castillo tras fallido autogolpe". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  23. ^ a b c d e "Vándalos incendian 2 sedes del Ministerio Público en Ayacucho". La Republica (in Spanish). 15 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  24. ^ a b "Ayacucho: sube a dos el número de fallecidos y 13 heridos durante protestas | ECONOMIA". Gestión (in Spanish). 16 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  25. ^ a b c d e "Ayacucho: Diresa confirma 7 muertos y 52 heridos por enfrentamientos". RPP (in Spanish). 15 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  26. ^ "«Masacre en Ayacucho», ascienden a 18 muertos tras estado de emergencia en Perú". ANRed (in European Spanish). Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  27. ^ a b Vega, Renzo Gómez (16 December 2022). "La represión de las protestas y los bloqueos de carreteras dejan 18 muertos en Perú". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  28. ^ "#AYACUCHO | Ministerio Público arde en llamas". Wayka. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  29. ^ "AYACUCHO | Hospital Regional colapsó". Wayka. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  30. ^ Tito, María Cristina (15 December 2022). "Masacre en Ayacucho: asciende a 4 los fallecidos durante manifestaciones". Radio Yaraví.
  31. ^ "Masacre En Ayacucho: 7 muertos y 52 heridos en el primer día de estado de emergencia". Wayka. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  32. ^ de 2022, 16 de Diciembre. "Ayacucho: convocan a 'cacerolazo' para la medianoche por los fallecidos en las protestas". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 16 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  33. ^ "Jornada trágica: a 18 llega el número de fallecidos durante protestas". Ojo Público (in Spanish). 15 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  34. ^ "https://twitter.com/anp_periodistas/status/1603583836310441986". Twitter. Retrieved 16 December 2022. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  35. ^ "Protestas en Perú: jueves de luto en Ayacucho con récord de muertos y heridos en el primer día del estado de emergencia". Infobae (in European Spanish). 16 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
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