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Latin American-Australians and supporters gathered in front of the Peruvian Consulate on January 21 to demand an end to the illegal Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra coup regime in Peru and for democratic elections.

Speakers called for international solidarity with the Peruvian people and the rally chanted: “Peru, united, will never be defeated!”

The Manifesto to the International Community (see below) was distributed to passers-by and read out to the rally. The group then marched to Town Hall Square to continue their protest.

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Manifesto to the International Community

Faced with the breakdown of legality and the unconstitutional process that the Peruvian Congress pursued in order to vacate the presidency on December 7 2022, the Peruvian community in Australia denounces the following:

1. The civil-military coup carried out by the ultra-right and dictatorial Congress on 7/12/22 did not follow or respect due process and unilaterally decided to vacate the presidency of Pedro Castillo, without allowing him his legal defence, let alone being present in the Congress, to proceed with the act of vacancy, as the Political Constitution stipulates.

2. Due to this illegal and unconstitutional act, the people of Peru took to the streets in the following days to demand respect for their vote and to denounce the illegal destitution of Pedro Castillo. This Congress, controlled in its majority by the retrograde right wing, never allowed Castillo’s different cabinets to govern the country in peace, with social tranquility and political stability. On the contrary, the almost 17 months of his government were marked by political instability and the constant questioning of ministers, while the right wing did not allow the discussion and approval in Congress of bills presented by the Executive for the benefit of the people and the governability of the country.

3. A few days after the destitution of Castillo and the beginning of the new government of Dina Boluarte, the population started huge marches and mobilisations in all the southern regions of the country, such as Ayacucho, Apurímac, Andahuaylas, Arequipa, Puno, Sicuani, Cusco and other regions, which have been joining the protests of the population throughout the country. The only response of the Executive and the usurper president Boluarte has been bloody repression and the massacring of the population that is mobilising, causing to date the death of more than 52 compatriots in Peru.

4. The repression by the army and the national police has been brutal, excessive, bloodthirsty and inhuman. They have used their long and short-range firearms to shoot point-blank range at peaceful demonstrators who had no firearms, let alone any type of weapon that could endanger the lives and safety of the police and military.

5. For all these reasons, the people and their representatives have refused to dialogue with Boluarte and her ministers, especially the president of the Council of Ministers Alberto Otárola, who gave the order to shoot people peacefully mobilising in the streets all over Peru. The people are demanding the resignation of Boluarte and her cabinet, early elections this year, the appointment of a new board of directors in Congress to carry out the general elections throughout the country, and a referendum to ask the people whether they want a Constituent Assembly to be called. 

6. The Peruvian people and the Peruvian community abroad support the demands of the people, who also demand justice and prison for all those politically, intellectually and materially responsible for the crimes against humanity committed by the national police and the Peruvian army. No amnesty or clean slate, but imprisonment and exemplary punishment for all those involved in the death of more than 52 compatriots.

7. We are grateful for the solidarity shown by the Latin American, Caribbean and Australian communities, as well as those in other countries of the world, who have shown their support and mobilised in different parts of the world against the crimes committed against Peruvians, who were only expressing their right to be heard. It is also the demand of the international community to stop the military and police repression, not one more death and exemplary punishment for those responsible for these crimes against humanity.

Not one more death, Dina resign!

Peruvian army and police, justice and jail await you!

National congress and coup plotters!

Respect the right to protest, assemble and peaceful mobilisations!

From the coast, across the highlands and jungles, elections this 2023!

The people united will never be defeated!