Ottawa, 19 December 2022 (TDI): The Foreign Minister of Canada, Mélanie Joly, contacted her counterpart, Ana Cecilia Gervasi, the Foreign Minister of Peru, on Sunday. Mélanie reiterated her support for the transitional government.
The Canadian Foreign Minister also called for respect for human rights in Peru. She expresses her condolences to the families of those killed by repression during protests.
Notably, Peru has been under civil unrest since Congress removed Pedro Castillo from the presidency after an attempted coup. Canada is actively engaged with the situation in Peru, as 3,900 of its citizens are currently stuck there.
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Canada has recognized Dina Boluarte as the new President of Peru. In this vein, Cecilia Gervasi reiterated Peru’s gratitude for Canada’s commitment to work with the new government. She pledged to keep the peace in Peru.
What is happening in Peru?
On December 7, the President of Peru, Pedro Castillo, made a surprise address to the nation. He announced the dissolution of Congress and replaced it with an exceptional emergency government. He also declared a nationwide state of emergency.
After this, Castillo was accused of staging a coup by the chairman of the constitutional court. Many of his officials resigned on the spot, and his Vice President, Dina Boluarte, condemned the dissolution of Congress.
The police and armed services released a united statement expressing their support for the constitution. Ultimately, Congress summoned an extraordinary meeting and decisively voted to impeach Castillo.
Castillo was detained in police custody for dissolving the legislative body. Vice President Dina Boluarte replaced Pedro Castillo and became the first female leader in the history of the Republic of Peru.
Since then, there has been widespread dissatisfaction with Congress. Peruvians have demanded new general elections & removal of Boluarte in a series of violent rallies. Castillo’s supporters have flocked to the streets to call for his release.
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According to official data, 24 individuals have died in various sections of the country. As per the Ministry of Health, another 77 people are under treatment as a result of the conflicts.
