The Peru Protests

According to officials, conflicts between supporters of the former president and security personnel in southeast Peru have resulted in at least 17 fatalities. In some of the worst violence since ex-President Pedro Castillo's arrest last month for attempting to dissolve Congress, dozens more people were hurt on Monday in the city of Juliaca. For weeks, his fans have blocked traffic and staged protests.

They demand immediate elections and claim that the new president, Dina Boluarte, must resign. The political crisis in Peru has taken dramatic turns. The Juliaca skirmishes were condemned by Prime Minister Alberto Otárola, who called it a planned assault on the police. He said that a local police station and the city's airport had both been attacked by large numbers of protesters.

Meanwhile, one protester told the AFP news agency: "The police are shooting at us." "We ask Dina to resign. Accept the fact that people do not want you," the protester added.

In the Puno region, which has seen a spike in anti-government protests, is where Juliaca is situated. Years of political unrest have plagued the South American country, and the most recent crisis reached a climax in December when Mr. Castillo declared a state of emergency and dissolved the legislature.

However, the impeachment motion was overwhelmingly approved by Congress. Investigations are being conducted into allegations of rebellion and conspiracy against Mr. Castillo, who is presently in custody. He insists that he is still the lawful president of the nation and refutes all of the allegations.