Ministers in Peru resign amid deadly protests

STORY: Peru’s fledgling government wobbled amid its ongoing political crisis.

At least two government ministers resigned from their posts on Friday, citing “disproportionate” state violence from security forces.

More than a dozen people have been killed so far in the unrest.

Supporters of ousted leader Pedro Castillo, who is under investigation for rebellion, tried to storm an airport runway in the city of Ayacucho.

Police and army officers stopped them with tear gas and guns.

Multiple injuries were reported, and a young man died.

Nearby, protesters set fire to the local prosecutor’s office and looted the building.

Pro-Castillo protesters also blocked a border crossing between Peru and Bolivia, near the town of Desaguadero – leaving hundreds of lorries stranded.

This man repeated their demands – they want an immediate closure of the Congress, for new President Dina Boluarte to resign, and early elections to be held.

But some locals were displeased with the unrest disrupting their lives.

Residents stranded across the border, who simply wanted to return home, argued with the protesters.

Peru’s new president, Dina Boluarte, condemned vandalism.

She also said security forces have clear instructions to respect protesters’ integrity and human rights.

Boluarte’s government earlier this week announced a state of emergency – curtailing people’s freedoms and granting police special powers.

And on Thursday, Peru’s Supreme Court ruled Castillo must be held behind bars for an extended 18 months.

The left-wing leader had tried to dissolve Congress on December 7 – in what the current president described as an “attempted coup”.