By Alvaro Meneses Gutierrez
Lima Peru. – After nine weeks of protests and repression by the forces of order in Peru, the International Human Rights Solidarity Mission arrived on February 7 in the capital city of Lima to collect testimonies and information regarding the violation of human rights and prepare a report on the situation in the country, which will be presented to international organizations.
It should be remembered that on December 7, former president Pedro Castillo tried to carry out a coup by announcing the unconstitutional closure of the Congress of the Republic. However, without political and military support, Congress dismissed him, the police detained 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 in pretrial detention.
After the fall of Castillo, 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.
Within the framework of these protests against Boluarte, to date, 60 citizens have died and more than 1,500 injured.
"We are hurt by the serious violations of Human Rights that are being suffered in Peru," Marianela Navarro, a member of the Front of Organizations in Struggle of Argentina and a member of the International Human Rights Solidarity Mission who traveled to Peru, said at a press conference. .
Regarding the repression of the forces of order, Navarro pointed out that "not only the murder of peacefully mobilized citizens has been observed, but also massive arbitrary detentions, the use of weapons by the police forces and the Army that are habitually used for dispersal , with shots directly aimed at close range. There is a citizen in Lima killed by a tear gas canister fired at close range."
Regarding the work of the international mission in the country, the Argentine lawyer and social leader Juan Grabois Gismondi reported that they will be dedicated to interviewing the victims of the repression of the forces of order, as well as to dialogue with social, political and institutional actors. involved.
«We are going to relieve the complaints of the victims. And based on these complaints, we prepare a report that we present in different instances such as the United Nations, the OAS ?Organization of American States? and the Holy See," Grabois said.
«There is a systematic misunderstanding of the guidelines of the Rule of Law and the most elementary standards of human rights. There is an absolute crisis situation. The state response to a series of demands is murder, repression, and the violation of their human rights, in addition to promoting a campaign of stigmatization, discrimination, and defamation that deepens this situation," Grabois said of Peru.
With the information collected, explained lawyer Pablo Garciarena from the Xumek organization and member of the international mission in Peru, a final report will be prepared that "will also have minimum standards that allow petitions to be founded before the inter-American or universal protection systems."
For his part, Argentine legislator Juan Marino specified that the international mission has not come to intervene in internal political matters.
"We come to ensure respect for human rights that are universal," he said. «The right to life, to protest, to due process and legal defense».
With these actions, says Marino, it is expected to "stop the massacre and respect human rights."
This article was produced with the support of the organization Global Exchange in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press.
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