Laura Gamba Fadul
19 January 2023•Update: 19 January 2023
BOGOTA, Colombia
Workers in Peru have called a national strike for Thursday to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.
The General Confederation of Peruvian Workers (CGTP), the union that is leading the strike, is also demanding an immediate call for general elections and the holding of a Constituent Assembly.
Demonstrators have been told to meet at Lima's Plaza 2 de Mayo at 4 p.m. local time (2100GMT), which is why several trade unions and social organizations have marched to the capital city to join in.
Boluarte spoke Tuesday about the protests that are set to take place.
"We don't want more blood. They have said that rivers of blood will flow. We do not want it,” she said. “I call on people to take to the streets of Lima, but calmly and peacefully."
On Wednesday, the Ombudsman's Office requested that both security forces and demonstrators march in a peaceful manner.
In a press release, it called on public institutions to "contribute to the protection of the fundamental rights of citizens.”
The CGTP has denounced that the police are preventing demonstrators from carrying out protests.
The government on Sunday declared a state of emergency for 30 days in some regions, which authorizes the army to intervene to maintain order.
At least 50 people have been killed so far in the recent protests that began on Dec. 7 when former President Pedro Castillo was ousted and arrested after he attempted to dissolve Congress and rule by decree in an effort to avoid impeachment over allegations of corruption.
