Peru’s political turmoil, sparked by Congress' decision not to bring forward presidential elections, has claimed its first victim in Lima following the death of a demonstrator in the city.
Victor Santisteban Yacsavilca’s death takes the number of people killed in the protests over the past eight weeks to 58, including a police officer. According to the Interior Ministry, Santisteban was treated at a local hospital for a wound behind his ear. The police and Prosecutor’s Office are investigating what happened.
On Tuesday, embattled President Dina Boluarte, who replaced Pedro Castillo when he was ousted on Dec. 7, expressed concerns about the potential for martyrdom in the capital. “When they moved from the interior of the country to Lima, what did the messages on social networks say? A death in Lima is worth a hundred in the province,” Boluarte said in a news conference.
