Peru’s new president is under investigation as political unrest grows

Peru’s political crisis deepened on Tuesday as a police officer torched his car after 17 civilians were killed in protests a day earlier, all sparked by the ouster of president Pedro Castillo last month.

Amid the violence, Peru’s attorney general said on Tuesday it was launching a preliminary investigation against President Dina Boluarte, Prime Minister Alberto Otarola and the defense and interior ministers on charges of genocide, murder and serious injury.

Since the protests began in early December, at least 40 people have been killed in the unrest, while hundreds more have been injured.

In a statement on Tuesday, Peru’s ombudsman’s office called for peaceful demonstrations as well as prosecutors to fully investigate the deaths.

Tuesday marked the beginning of a three-day mourning period in the southern part of Peru. The prime minister also announced a three-day overnight curfew in Puno, aimed at ending the violence.

Officer ‘burned alive’

The slain officer’s vehicle was attacked early Tuesday morning by “unknown persons” in the town of Juliaca, located in the southern Puno region, with another officer suffering head injuries, according to the Interior Ministry.

Raul Alfaro, a senior police commander, told reporters that the crowd “attacked” the police vehicle, and then beat him and other officers as they disarmed them.

“They burned him alive,” Alfaro said.

Police have started an investigation to identify those responsible, he said. Interior Ministry officials said Tuesday that an autopsy was being performed on the body of the officer, identified as Jose Luis Soncco.

Another police officer suffered head injuries during the attack, according to the ministry.

The office noted the “extreme violence” of Soncco’s death, claiming he was tortured before his death, while also condemning the arson attack on the congressman’s Puno home with family members still inside.

Earlier on Tuesday, Otarola appeared in the opposition-dominated Congress in an attempt to officially launch the new government, asking lawmakers to approve a vote of confidence for Boluarte’s cabinet, which is needed to lead the new government.

The UN urges respect for human rights

The protesters demanded the resignation of Boluarte, the dissolution of Congress, constitutional changes and the release of Castillo.

Castillo has been ordered to remain in pre-trial detention while he is investigated for inciting rebellion, a charge he denies. The former rural teacher who served for less than two years before being ousted says he remains Peru’s rightful president.

On Twitter, Castillo wrote that those who died “defending the country from the coup dictatorship” will not be forgotten.

Later this week, the mission of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will visit Peru to assess the situation, while in a separate statement, the United Nations called for respect for human rights and offered to mediate the crisis.