Pressure on Peru’s newly formed government has increased after two cabinet members resigned following deadly protests that rocked the country following the ouster and arrest of former President Pedro Castillo last week.
Education Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Peres announced their resignations on Twitter on Friday, citing the deaths of people during the unrest.
“This morning I submitted my resignation as Minister of Education. There is no justification for the death of compatriots. State violence cannot be disproportionate and cause death,” Correa said on his Twitter account.
Castillo’s ouster sparked angry protests, with demonstrators calling for early elections, a shutdown of Congress, a constituent assembly and the resignation of new President Dina Bolwarte.
Protests continued on Friday, with key roads blocked and airports forced to close. At least 17 people have been killed in the protests so far, authorities said, and at least five more have died as a result.
The United Nations on Friday expressed “deep concern” over reports of deaths and detentions of minors involved in the demonstrations.
Peru’s government said Foreign Minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi would meet with the UN High Commissioner on Tuesday to discuss the situation.
On Thursday, eight people were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in Ayacucho, according to local authorities, after a Supreme Court panel ordered an 18-month pretrial detention for Castillo while he is investigated on “rebellion and conspiracy” charges.
Castillo has denied wrongdoing and said he remains the country’s legitimate president.
Peru has gone through years of political turmoil, with numerous leaders accused of corruption, frequent impeachment attempts and shortened presidential terms.
The cabinet departure raises questions about the longevity of the government of Bolwarte, the former vice president who was sworn in Dec. 7 after Castillo was removed from office by a congressional vote hours after he tried to dissolve Congress.
Peru’s Congress on Friday rejected a proposed constitutional reform that would have postponed presidential elections until December 2023, one of the key demands of protesters.
After the death in Ayacucho, the country’s ombudsman office said a criminal complaint had been filed to determine responsibility, without giving further details.
Bolwarte’s government declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, granting special powers to the police and restricting freedoms, including the right to assembly, but it appears to have had little effect in halting the protests.
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