Lima (BLAZETRENDS) last March, who called for his resignation and the closure of Congress.
The Head of State goes to the office of the National Prosecutor (general), Patricia Benavides, to answer the preliminary investigation opened against her for the alleged commission of the crimes of genocide, homicide and serious injuries, as a result of the death of 77 people in the mobilizations, 49 of which occurred in direct confrontations with the forces of order deployed to repress the protesters.
The Presidency of the Republic confirmed, through its Twitter account, that “Boluarte arrived at the (headquarters of) the Prosecutor’s Office of Peru to provide statements regarding the investigations being followed by the Public Ministry.”
Boluarte will not keep silent
Boluarte assured last week that he will attend the summons because his intention is to contribute to “clarifying the facts as quickly as possible” and that, for this reason, he was not going to use the prerogative of having his statement taken at the Government Palace. .
He stressed, however, that he will only offer his statement to the attorney general because “it is the only competent authority in the investigations of high-ranking officials of the Peruvian State in accordance with the law.”
Boluarte’s lawyer, Joseph Campos, told reporters, before entering the stage, that the president “is not going to use silence as a means of defense,” but rather “will answer all the questions to the Prosecutor’s Office.” .
For his part, the President of the Council of Ministers, Alberto Otárola, reiterated, in statements to RPP, that Boluarte “will not remain silent” in the interrogation with the National Prosecutor because “his interest is that things be clarified.” .
The Government defends the actions during the protests
In a telephone interview from Spain, the Prime Minister defended the Executive’s position on the deaths and serious injuries produced during the control of the anti-government mobilizations by stating that it is important to investigate the agents of the Police or the Armed Forces who made a ” misuse” of their weapons and that this conduct did not respond to an institutional order.
Otárola has also been included in the investigation; his predecessor, Pedro Angulo; the former Ministers of the Interior Víctor Rojas and César Cervantes; and the current Minister of Defense, Jorge Chávez.
Boluarte already went to the headquarters of the Public Ministry on March 7, but did not testify because he was pending the resolution of a protection of rights presented by the Attorney General’s Office, which asked that he be included in the investigation for the statement of the first Minister Otárola.
As part of the investigation, the Prosecutor’s Office also summoned the head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, Manuel Gómez de la Torre, to testify this Monday, but he asked that the date of that summons be changed.
under international attention
The protests broke out in Peru after the failed coup d’état by former President Pedro Castillo on December 7, and continued since January with mobilizations and confrontations with the forces of order demanding the resignation of Boluarte, the closure of Congress, the advancement of the general elections and the convocation of a constituent assembly.
According to various sources, at least 49 civilians died during these clashes, while the protests left a total of 77 dead, since other people, including several Haitians, also died due to actions such as road blockades.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemned in its latest report the violence used by the security forces during the demonstrations and assured that it has found cases of “extrajudicial executions” in Peru.