Peruvian President Dina Boluarte ruled out resigning and insisted with the need to bring forward presidential elections a day after congress voted against the proposal, rejecting a government attempt to alleviate the political crisis started with the impeachment of former leader Pedro Castillo.
Boluarte said that her resignation would not solve the country’s political crisis. “We are going to be firm here until congress resolves the early elections,” she said Saturday during a press conference with members of her cabinet and the Armed Forces.
Boluarte asked congress to approve the constitutional reform needed to hold the early vote. “I demand to reconsider the vote on the early elections,” she said. “83% of the Peruvian population wants early elections, don’t look for excuses to avoid bringing forward the elections, don’t hide behind abstention.”
On Friday, congress voted against the reform to bring forward the elections to 2023, failing to garner the two-thirds needed to pass. Castillo’s five-year term is currently scheduled to end in 2026.
Later that day, the president of congress Jose Williams said the body will evaluate a reconsideration request on the constitutional reform proposal. “We are going to work on the reconsideration to see if the votes are reached,” he said at a news conference after a meeting of the Council of State.
Peru is in the midst of a political crisis that has seen widespread unrest. At least 20 people have died in clashes with police, according to the Health Ministry, and the government declared a 30-day nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday in an attempt to restore order, clear blockages and reopen highways.
The government’s priority, Boluarte highlighted, is to recover the blocked highways, keep the airports working and guarantee food for the population.
Speaking alongside Boluarte, the head of the Armed Forces Joint Command Miguel Gomez said that the security forces have been “recovering normality” in the country and that there were no protests on Saturday morning.
Boluarte, who was vice president and sworn-in by congress after Castillo's ousting, first called for elections to be brought forward two years to 2024 and then backed an even speedier timeline. Castillo’s supporters, who have been protesting the removal for about a week, are demanding elections as soon as possible.
Signs of strain have also already affected Boluarte’s Cabinet, with Culture Minister Jair Perez and Education Minister Patricia Correa posting their resignation letters on Twitter. “State violence cannot be disproportionate and a generator of death,” wrote Correa.
Boluarte said she will announce changes in her Cabinet, without offering details about the ministers she will appoint or the dates. She also called for peace and dialogue between the different political sectors. “The government of Dina Boluarte is a transitional government, in this short time we have to work together.”
