Carrying the Andean nation’s vertically striped red-white-red flag and signs with anti-government slogans, protesters marched on the opposition-dominated Congress in the capital Lima. Castillo called those who oppose his government “reactionaries” and “enemies of the people.” Police in helmets and plastic shields fired several tear gas canisters in an attempt to disperse the crowds. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Castillo, who took office in July last year, has already survived two impeachment attempts. Opposition lawmakers are seeking a new trial against the president, even though Congress has acknowledged he will not muster enough votes. [1/5] People carry a Peruvian flag, during a protest against the government of Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, in Lima, Peru, November 5, 2022. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda “We see a government involved in corruption and Congress not reacting,” said Lucas Ghersi, a conservative lawyer who is one of the organizers of the march, called Peru Reacts. In October, Peru’s attorney general filed a constitutional complaint against Castillo in Congress that the right-wing opposition hopes will result in his removal from office. Resentment has grown in Peru. “I am coming for my children, for my grandchildren, because this government is becoming hell,” said Maria del Pilar Blancas. “They want us to become another Venezuela,” she said, referring to the South American neighbor that has fallen into economic freefall. Similar protests were held in other cities across the country, including Arequipa, Chiclayo, Cusco and Trujillo, according to reports and images broadcast by local television channel Canal N. Reporting by Marco Aquino and Sebastian Castaneda in Lima. Written by Stefanie Eschenbacher. Edited by William Mallard Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
