The Peruvian Ministries of the Interior and Defense issued a joint statement on Thursday informing that the Peruvian Police, together with the support of the Armed Forces, will unblock the roads of the National Road Network which is in a state of emergency due to protests against the Government.
«We call on those who persist in these illegal measures to desist from them, allow the peaceful unblocking of the roads and avoid confrontations with the security forces, which will act in defense of legality,» reads the letter, where both ministries quote several articles of the Peruvian Magna Carta, as reported by the radio station RPP.
The Ministries of Interior and Defense have reminded that blocking roads is «an illegal act against the freedom of transit of people» and that, in addition, the country’s Criminal Code punishes as a crime of extortion those who «with violence or threat take premises, obstruct roads, impede free transit or disrupt the normal functioning of public services».
They have also pointed out that to date ten Peruvians have lost their lives as a result of the road blockade, among them a newborn baby whose mother could not receive timely medical attention in the region of La Libertad, a newborn baby in the region of Puno and a one year old child in Cuzco.
«The right to protest does not authorize the obstruction of roads, much less can it be superimposed on the right to life of those people who need to be transferred to receive delicate treatments such as oncology or who need oxygen and medicines to reach their regions in order to continue living», they reiterated in the communiqué.
Peru is in the midst of a deep political crisis following the dismissal by Congress of former President Pedro Castillo, who announced on December 7 the dissolution of the Andean Parliament and the establishment of an emergency government.
Following the arrest of the former president, tens of thousands of people came out to protest in various parts of the country to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, the dissolution of Congress and the urgent calling of presidential elections. Since then, more than 60 people have lost their lives in riots between demonstrators and security forces.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
