LIMA (AP).— Peruvian President José Jerí assured that he will not resign after the death of a protester during a massive protest that demanded his departure and the repeal of laws promoted by him when he was a legislator.
“My responsibility is to maintain the stability of the country, that is my responsibility and my commitment,” declared the president today, Thursday, who went to Parliament to request legislative powers against crime.
However, the Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into the death “by firearm” of the hip hop singer Eduardo Ruíz, 32, which occurred during the demonstrations in Lima.
Videos broadcast by local media show the moment when Ruíz fell to the ground after being shot by a man who was fleeing through the crowd, identified by witnesses as an undercover police officer.
Interior Minister Vicente Tiburcio denied the use of plainclothes officers, even though cameras recorded men without uniforms arresting protesters and forcibly loading them into police vehicles.
In the clashes, police responded with tear gas and pellets to fireworks attacks in front of Congress, where protesters burned a giant violin with a presidential band.
The Ombudsman’s Office reported more than a hundred injuries – 20 civilians and 80 police officers – in addition to attacks on journalists who were covering the events.
The protests evoked the beginnings of the government of Dina Boluarte, dismissed a week earlier after losing support in Congress.
Jerí, 38, assumed power in his place as president of Parliament, but faces criticism for an investigation filed against him for alleged rape, in addition to having promoted laws that, according to experts, favor crime.
Peru is going through a spike in crime, with alarming figures: homicides went from 676 in 2017 to more than 2,000 in 2024, and extortions grew tenfold in four years.
Songs against Jerí
During the protests, a group of more than 20 women chanted in front of Congress: “The rapist is Jerí,” in reference to the complaint filed for alleged sexual assault against the current president.
Rejection of reforms
The demonstrations, driven by young people from the so-called Generation Z, began a month ago in rejection of labor and pension reforms, and led to a broader movement against the government. Discontent has been transformed into a demand for political change and social justice.