I won’t resign Peru president insists amid protest
Dina Boluarte, Peruvian President, has insisted she will not resign, following another day of protests and roadblocks across the country, as well as the arrest of a trade union leader with alleged links to Maoist rebels.
Since December, supporters of deposed President Pedro Castillo have marched and barricaded streets across the South American country, demanding new elections and the removal of Boluarte.
"Some voices from violent and radical factions have asked for my resignation, provoking the population into chaos, disorder, and destruction," Boluarte said in a speech broadcast on state television Friday night.
"I am not resigning. "My dedication is to Peru," she added.
At least 42 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, including a police officer who was burned alive in a vehicle, according to Boluarte. Hundreds more people have been hurt.
"I can't stop expressing my sorrow over the deaths of Peruvians in these protests. "I apologize for the inconvenience," she said.
However, she rejected the possibility of convening a constitutional assembly, as demanded by protesters, citing Chile's difficulties in drafting and approving a new constitution.
"That is not going to happen overnight," Boluarte added.
Earlier on Friday, after a brief respite after the new year, police announced the arrest of Rocio Leandro, a union leader from the Ayacucho region.
Leandro, who allegedly has ties to Maoist insurgents, is accused of financing and recruiting protesters.
Oscar Arriola, a police spokesman, claimed his arrest proved that remnants of the Shining Path Maoist rebels were involved in the protests.
Leandro, he claimed, was a former Shining Path member known as "Comrade Cusi."
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