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New Wave of Protests Begin as US Troops Enter Perú to Train Armed Forces
Clau O'Brien Moscoso
14 Jun 2023
New Wave of Protests Begin as US Troops Enter Perú to Train Armed Forces
Protester arrested during the January Takeover of Lima, Peru. (Photo: AP)

A Third Takeover of Lima is the next action planned in the mobilization against the coup government in Peru.

National Strike, Day 161

As the parliamentary coup against democratically elected president Pedro Castillo enters its sixth month, the people of Perú continue the protests and begin a new wave of coordinated actions throughout the country to prepare for a third Takeover of Lima in July. Despite the coup regime’s various attempts to stifle the uprising that began December 7th and has continued both in the capital city of Lima and in the outer provinces and regions, despite the Supreme Court ruling declaring protests are not a protected right and Congress trying to take Perú out of the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights, the people have not stopped making their voices heard. With the entrance of hundreds of US military personnel starting on June 1st, it is yet to be seen what this deployment means for the movement and the people’s struggle for a plurinational and sovereign nation, but plans continue for a renewed wave of protests.

June 7th marked Flag Day in Perú as well the 6 month anniversary of the Boluarte/ Fujimori coup regime that claimed the lives of over 80 Peruvians during the uprising. Peruvians, particularly in the southern regions of Puno, Arequipa, and Apurímac raised the black and white Peruvian flag honoring those killed in the 6 months of dictatorship. Merchants in mercados throughout the country raised the black and white flag, the families of victims and others in places like Ayacucho, Junin and in Lima staged a “lavado” (wash) in public squares where they were washing flags in buckets of soap and water (to metaphorically get the blood of their slain children and other martyrs and abuses of this dictatorship off the flag), and continuous organizing towards the July 19th Third Takeover Of Lima where delegations of people from outer regions into Lima to demand the ouster of the Boularte regime, the closure of Congress, and justice for the victims, among other demands.

As with much of this popular uprising, the southern region of Puno has provided leadership to the struggle. On May 30th, all of Puno observed a full strike (paro seco) that had all storefronts, hostels, and restaurants closed in observance of this decision made by Popular Assembly. Through various formations, both longstanding and newly formed in these past six months, popular assemblies have been converging throughout the regions and macro regions of the country to plan for the upcoming delegations heading to Lima, but also to plan more local actions like the strike on May 30th, and more importantly, what the demands of a popular, sovereign and plurinational constituent assembly should be. Other regions, like Arequipa, have also agreed to the Third Takeover of Lima for mid July while also planning local actions in the lead up to the mass march on the capital, according to Yasmani Cayo, presidente del Frente de Defensa del Avelino.

The Boluarte regime declared an additional 60 days of a State of Emergency for Puno in response to the planned protests. The next day would result in tense scenes in the city of Juliaca in Puno with police and mourners jostling to lower the flag at half mast, but no deadlier interactions reported. With this round of renewed protests and major mobilizations to the capital city of Lima, the mobilized masses have yet to face the brutality of what training the Peruvian Armed Forces are receiving from the additional 1,000 US military troops. As President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel recently stated when asked about the entrance of US troops to Perú, “that is interference, that is aggression. A country that respects itself does not allow that. That is an attack against the sovereignty of a nation, it is to end self determination…Behind this, it shows the interest to assault and be present in the problems of our countries as an element of domination.”

As government contracts from the Department of Defense flood into Lima, particularly the Naval Medical Research Unit Six (NAMRU-6), the primary source of infectious diseases research in the Latin American region for the US Navy,  it’s clear that the US is stationing itself further entrenched in Perú not only to help clamp down the popular uprising inside the country, but also as a threat to the region of what happens when the people elect a government promising to have the resources of the country benefit the masses.

**En Español**

Nueva ola de protestas comienza 6 meses después del golpe mientras tropas estadounidenses ingresan a Perú para entrenar a las fuerzas armadas

Paro Nacional, Día 161

Mientras el golpe parlamentario contra el presidente democráticamente elegido Pedro Castillo cumple su sexto mes, el pueblo peruano continúa las protestas y comienza una nueva ola de acciones coordinadas en todo el país para prepararse para una tercera toma de Lima en julio. A pesar de los diversos intentos del régimen golpista de sofocar el levantamiento que comenzó el 7 de diciembre y ha continuado tanto en la ciudad capital de Lima como en las provincias y regiones exteriores, a pesar que la Corte Suprema declaró que las protestas no son un derecho protegido y el Congreso intenta sacar Perú de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, el pueblo no ha dejado de alzar su voz. Con la entrada de cientos de militares estadounidenses a partir del 1 de junio, está por ver qué significa esta injerencia para el movimiento y la lucha popular por una nación plurinacional y soberana, pero continúan los planes para una nueva ola de protestas.

El 7 de junio marcó el Día de la Bandera en Perú, así como seis meses del régimen golpista de Boluarte/Fujimori, que se cobró la vida de más de 80 peruanos durante esta coyuntura. Los peruanos, especialmente en las regiones del sur de Puno, Arequipa y Apurímac, izaron la bandera peruana en blanco y negro en honor a aquellos que perdieron la vida durante los seis meses de dictadura. Los comerciantes en los mercados de todo el país levantaron la bandera en blanco y negro, las familias de las víctimas y otros en lugares como Ayacucho, Junín y Lima realizaron un “lavado”en plazas públicas, donde lavaron las banderas en cubos de agua y jabón (metafóricamente para quitar la sangre de sus hijos y otros mártires asesinados y los abusos de esta dictadura de la bandera), y continúan organizándose para la Tercera Toma de Lima el 19 de julio, donde delegaciones de personas de las regiones exteriores llegarán a Lima para exigir la destitución del régimen de Boularte, el cierre del Congreso y justicia para las víctimas, entre otras demandas.

Al igual que en gran parte de este levantamiento popular, la región sureña de Puno ha desempeñado un papel de liderazgo en la lucha. El 30 de mayo, todo Puno observó un paro seco en el que todos los comercios, hostales y restaurantes cerraron en cumplimiento de esta decisión tomada por la Asamblea Popular. A través de diversas organizaciones, tanto de larga trayectoria como de reciente formación en estos últimos seis meses, las asambleas populares se han estado uniendo en las diferentes regiones y macroregiones del país para planificar las próximas delegaciones rumbo a Lima, pero también para planificar acciones locales como el paro del 30 de mayo y, lo que es más importante, para determinar cuáles deberían ser las demandas de una asamblea constituyente popular, soberana y plurinacional. Otras regiones, como Arequipa, también han acordado participar en la Tercera Toma de Lima a mediados de julio, al tiempo que planifican acciones locales previas a la marcha masiva hacia la capital, según Yasmani Cayo, presidente del Frente de Defensa del Avelino.

El régimen de Boluarte declaró 60 días adicionales de Estado de Emergencia en Puno en respuesta a las protestas planificadas. Al día siguiente, se producirían escenas tensas en la ciudad de Juliaca, Puno con enfrentamientos entre la policía y los dolientes para bajar la bandera a media asta, pero no se reportaron interacciones más letales. Con esta nueva ronda de protestas y grandes movilizaciones hacia la ciudad capital de Lima, las masas movilizadas aún no han enfrentado la brutalidad de la capacitación que las Fuerzas Armadas Peruanas están recibiendo de los 1.000 soldados estadounidenses adicionales. Como recientemente afirmó el presidente de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, cuando se le preguntó sobre la entrada de tropas estadounidenses a Perú: "Eso es interferencia, eso es agresión. Un país que se respeta a sí mismo no lo permite. Eso es un ataque contra la soberanía de una nación, es poner fin a la autodeterminación... Detrás de esto, se muestra el interés de asaltar y estar presente en los problemas de nuestros países como un elemento de dominación".

A medida que los contratos gubernamentales del Departamento de Defensa inundan Lima, especialmente en la Unidad de Investigación Médica Naval 6 (NAMRU-6), la principal fuente de investigación de enfermedades infecciosas en la región latinoamericana para la Marina de EEUU, queda claro que Estados Unidos se está estableciendo aún más arraigado en Perú, no solo para ayudar a sofocar el levantamiento popular en el interior del país, sino también como una amenaza para la región, mostrando qué sucede cuando el pueblo elige un gobierno que promete utilizar los recursos del país en beneficio de las masas.

Clau O'Brien Moscoso is an organizer with the Black Alliance for Peace in the Haiti/Americas Team. Originally from Barrios Altos, Lima, she grew up in New Jersey and now lives between both countries.

Peru Coup
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