By Alvaro Meneses Gutierrez
Lima, Peru. – After nine weeks of protests and repression by law enforcement in Peru, the International Human Rights Solidarity Mission arrived in the capital city of Lima on February 7 to collect testimonies and information regarding human rights violations and to prepare a report on the situation in the country, which will be presented to international organizations.
It is worth remembering that on December 7, former President Pedro Castillo attempted to stage a coup by announcing the unconstitutional closure of the Congress of the Republic. However, without political or military support, Congress dismissed him, the police arrested him and the Prosecutor's Office accused him of the alleged crimes of rebellion and conspiracy against the State. Castillo is currently serving 18 months of preventive detention.
Following Castillo's fall, Vice President Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency of the Republic with the support of far-right political groups, which led to nationwide protests demanding her resignation, the closure of Congress, the calling of new general elections and the consultation for a Constituent Assembly.
In the context of these protests against Boluarte, there have been, to date, 60 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries.
"We are saddened by the serious human rights violations that are being suffered in Peru," said Marianela Navarro, a member of the Front of Organizations in Struggle of Argentina and a member of the International Human Rights Solidarity Mission that traveled to Peru, at a press conference.
Regarding the repression by the security forces, Navarro pointed out that "not only the murder of peacefully mobilized citizens has been observed, but also mass arbitrary arrests, the use of weapons by the police forces and the Army that are habitually used to disperse people, with shots fired directly at close range. There is a citizen in Lima who was killed by a tear gas bomb fired at close range."
Regarding the work of the international mission in the country, Argentine lawyer and social leader Juan Grabois Gismondi reported that they will be interviewing victims of repression by law enforcement, as well as engaging in dialogue with the social, political and institutional actors involved.
"We are going to collect the victims' complaints. And based on these complaints, we prepare a report that we present to different bodies such as the United Nations, the OAS (Organization of American States) and the Holy See," said Grabois.
"There is a systematic disregard for the guidelines of the rule of law and the most basic standards of human rights. There is a situation of absolute crisis. The state's response to a series of demands is murder, repression and violation of human rights, in addition to promoting a campaign of stigmatization, discrimination and defamation that deepens this situation," said Grabois about Peru.
According to lawyer Pablo Garciarena of the Xumek organization and member of the international mission in Peru, the information collected will be used to prepare a final report that "will also have minimum standards that allow for the submission of petitions to the inter-American or universal protection systems."
For his part, Argentine deputy Juan Marino, stated that the international mission had not come to intervene in domestic political matters.
"We have come to ensure respect for human rights, which are universal," he said. "The right to life, to protest, to due process and to legal defense."
According to Marino, these actions are expected to "stop the massacre and ensure that human rights are respected."
This note was made with the support of the organization Global Exchange in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press.
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