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Photos: Peru’s new president urges calm amid early election talk

Analysts predict a tough road for Dina Boluarte, a 60-year-old lawyer and political neophyte who was sworn in this week.

Police detain a man during a confrontation
Peruvian police detain a man in Lima on December 7, 2022, during a confrontation with protesters who support ousted President Pedro Castillo. [Aldair Mejia/EPA-EFE]
Published On 9 Dec 20229 Dec 2022
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Peru’s first female president is trying to cement her hold on power, saying she expects to complete the term of her ousted predecessor and quench years of political turmoil that have blighted the Andean nation.

Yet as Dina Boluarte appeared in a military ceremony on national television on Friday in her first official event as head of state, some politicians were already calling for early elections in an indication of continued rancour.

Boluarte, who was elevated from vice president to replace Pedro Castillo on Wednesday, said she should be allowed to hold the office for the remaining three and a half years of his term.

After being sworn in, Boluarte called for a truce with legislators who dismissed Castillo for “permanent moral incapacity”, a clause of the constitution that experts say is so vague it allows the removal of a president for almost any reason.

“I know that there are voices that are calling for early elections. That is democracy,” Boluarte said, adding, however, that there is a need for stability in a deeply polarised country that has had six presidents in the past six years.

“If society and if the situation warrants bringing forward elections, then in conversation with the democratic and political forces in Congress, we will sit down to talk,” she told reporters.

Analysts have predicted a tough road ahead for the new president, a 60-year-old lawyer and political neophyte.

A poll by the Institute of Peruvian Studies conducted in November suggested most Peruvians would want a ballot before 2026. Of those surveyed, 86 percent said they preferred early presidential and congressional elections if Castillo were removed.

Former President Ollanta Humala, who governed from 2011 to 2016, noted that the new leader was not involved in politics or government before becoming vice president last year and has no base in Congress.

“She does not have the tools to govern,” Humala told N television. He predicted that any truce with Congress “will last a month or perhaps more, but then the great problems of the country come upon her”.

Boluarte has urged Peruvians to “calm down” as Castillo supporters hold small demonstrations in Lima and other parts of the country.

Local television showed footage of hundreds of farmers blocking a stretch of Peru’s main coastal highway to demand early elections. And in Lima, several hundred protesters trying to reach the Congress building clashed with police, who used canes and tear gas to push them back.

“The only thing left is the people,” said Juana Ponce, one of the protesters. “We have no authorities. We have nothing. It is a national shame. All these corrupt congressmen have sold out. They have betrayed our president, Pedro Castillo.”

The press covers a statement by Peru's new President
Lawyer Dina Boluarte had no political experience before becoming vice president last year and now, a little more than a year later, finds herself in the highest office in Peru. [Fernando Vergara/AP]
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Peru's new President Dina Boluarte waves
Boluarte became president after her predecessor Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve Congress and invoke emergency powers, only to be quickly removed from office by that same legislature in an impeachment trial. [Martin Mejia/AP]
Presidency of Peru shows President of Peru Dina Boluarte
Analysts say a tough road lies ahead of Boluarte as she governs a country that is deeply divided and has suffered years of political turmoil. [Handout/Peru presidency/EPA-EFE]
A supporter of ousted President Pedro Castillo marches
A Peruvian demonstrates in support of ousted President Pedro Castillo as small protests are held in Lima and other parts of Peru. [Fernando Vergara/AP]
Supporters of ousted President Pedro Castillo march
Castillo supporters march in Lima and call for the ousted president to be freed from detention as authorities investigate charges of "rebellion and conspiracy" against him. [Fernando Vergara/AP]
A supporter of outsed President Pedro Castillo holds a poster
A Castillo supporter holds a poster with the message "The battle has begun, freedom for Castillo" in front of the Justice Palace in Lima. [Fernando Vergara/AP]
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A police officer clashes with demonstrators
A police officer clashes with demonstrators during a protest demanding an early presidential election. [Sebastian Castaneda/Reuters]
Demonstrators clash with riot police during a protest
Pro-Castillo demonstrators fight with riot police during a protest demanding a presidential election and the closure of Congress. [Sebastian Castaneda/Reuters]
Riot police officers take position among a cloud of tear gas
Riot police take up positions in a cloud of tear gas during a protest by Castillo supporters. [Sebastian Castaneda/Reuters]
Police officers inspect documents
Police officers inspect documents of passers-by at Plaza San Martin in Lima, a day after protesters occupied the area. [Sebastian Castaneda/Reuters]


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