May 19, 2023
The Peruvian Congress has approved the entry of U.S. troops to “train” with military and police of the South American country. With 70 votes in favor, 33 against and four abstentions, the plenary of the Parliament approved the measure, which was repudiated by the left-wing opposition members.
The measure, which was approved this Friday morning, authorizes the deployment of U.S. military troops into Peru, starting in June, until December 31. As of this moment the number of military personnel that may enter is unknown.
Despite the opposition’s rejection, the Committee of National Defense, Internal Order, Alternative Development and Fight Against Drugs, defends the ruling and assures that the U.S. personnel will carry out “cooperation and training” activities with the Armed Forces and the National Police.
The secretary of the commission, legislator Alfredo Azurín, assures that the entry of the U.S. detachment “does not aim to implement any foreign military base in Peru and will not affect national sovereignty”, as reported by the Legislative Communications Office on Friday.
The vote was made a day after the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Right of Expression, Assembly and Peaceful Association, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, confirmed the excessive use of repressive force against the demonstrations initiated last December in rejection of the interim government of Dina Boluarte that has a popular disapproval rating of 79%. The office also called on the Boluarte administration to be transparent in the investigations into the deaths of civilians.
The UN High Representative suggested that the government should reach out to the victims of the recent protests and acknowledge their suffering and ensure that those responsible for human rights violations during the protests are effectively held accountable.
Two weeks later, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) had presented a documented report on the “grave violations by military and police” during the protests against Congress and the interim president.
The IACHR’s final report on the crisis in Peru concluded that there were several human rights violations during the anti-Boluarte protests that left 49 people dead.
For the IACHR, the “disproportionate, indiscriminate and lethal” use of force was confirmed by the high number of deaths, of which the majority, almost 50, according to the organization, occurred after clashes with public security forces.
According to the president of the IACHR, Margarette May Macaulay, the deaths could constitute extrajudicial executions in Ayacucho, one of the regions where the bloodiest acts took place.
The most recent social outburst in Peru arose after the dismissal of former president Pedro Castillo, for having attempted to dissolve the Congress of the Republic, which resulted in the death of some 80 people, and dozens of wounded at the hands of the police and military.
Source HispanTV, translaton Resumen Latinoamericano – English