Demonstrators against Peru's President Pedro Castillo gather outside the Legislative Palace in Lima, Peru, Oct 25, 2021.(PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)
Peru’s government authorized the army to help the police maintain order in Lima, amid protests and a planned transport strike.
According to a resolution published in the official gazette, a rise in robberies and assaults has exceeded the operational capacity of the police, and troops will be deployed in the capital for a month.
The measure comes two days before congress debates a vote of confidence on the recently-appointed cabinet. Peru has been roiled by violent protests against mining and oil companies in recent days
The measure comes two days before congress debates a vote of confidence on the recently-appointed cabinet. Peru has been roiled by violent protests against mining and oil companies in recent days, though in regions far from the capital.
In Lima, a union representing bus operators and other transport workers announced an indefinite strike starting Nov 8 over rising fuel prices.
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Operations at the Antamina copper and zinc mine in northern Peru, which is 34 percent owned by BHP Group, have been suspended because of a lack of public safety in the area, Antamina said in a statement on its website. The native Aquia community erected roadblocks to protest alleged contamination caused by the mine. The company called on the government to restore order to allow work to restart.
