The head of Peru’s Congress has called for the “immediate resignation” of interim president Manuel Merino after a violent crackdown on protests against his …
The head of Peru’s Congress has called for the “immediate resignation” of interim president Manuel Merino after a violent crackdown on protests against his new government left at least three dead and more than 60 injured. Thousands have taken to the streets in days of protests against Merino following the ouster of his popular predecessor Martin Vizcarra, who was impeached on corruption allegations on Monday. “I ask Mr. Merino to evaluate his immediate resignation,” Congress head Luis Valdez said in a statement Saturday night to Channel N television. Lawmakers will meet in an emergency session on Sunday to discuss Merino’s resignation, a statement released later on the Congress Twitter account said. The ultimatum came after news of the death of three protesters during a massive and peaceful march in Lima, which was violently repressed by police firing shotgun pellets and tear gas. Lima mayor Jorge Munoz, from the same center-right Popular Action party as Merino, also demanded the resignation of the president. “I just found out about the third death” in the protests, said the Archbishop of Lima, Carlos Castillo, deploring the police crackdown in a statement to state television. Police reported two deaths, while the National Human Rights Coordinator indicated it was investigating whether there were four.
