Victims Of Death Protested In Peru Increased, President Bouarte Regretted The Rejection Of The Proposal For The Acceleration Of Elections

Protesters passed in front of the Peruvian police who were on guard. (Wikimedia Commons/Mayimbmen)

JAKARTA - The death toll from protests in Peru continues as clashes between police and protesters continue, while the country's leaders regret the rejection of the accelerated general election proposal.

A man in the capital Peru, Lima, died on the weekend and others were hospitalized, as national clashes between protesters and police continued in the eighth week of the South American country's political crisis.

The death of Victor Santisteban Yacsavivilca, 55, brings the death toll of the national protests that began last December, following impeachment and the arrest of President Pedro Castillo, to 58.

Initially focused in rural Peru, south of the mountains, protests have escalated in the capital in recent weeks. Saturday's protests mostly took place in Lima and the southern Cusco region, the Peru ombudsman said in a statement.

Santisteban suffered a severe head injury, the national health insurance agency said in a statement.

Several protests escalated as demonstrators armed with stones and emergency shields clashed with police, deploying gas and rubber bullets.

The Peru Ombudsman condemned reports of attacks on journalists covering the protests.

Separately, President Dina Bouarte expressed regret on Saturday morning, after Congress refused to speed up the presidential election schedule amid riots, his office said.

Lawmakers have given the early green light to move elections from 2026 to 2024, but on Friday rejected proposals to hold elections this year.

President Bouarte has repeatedly supported the acceleration of elections, as he struggles to quell protests calling for his resignation.

The motion to move elections until April 2024 was passed by one vote and has the last vote in February. Congress will continue its debate on Monday.

Earlier, President Bouarte said on Friday the presidential election could take place this year.

"We urge lawmakers to put the interests of partisans and their groups, put Peru's interests first. Our citizens are soon waiting for a clear response that will pave the way out of the political crisis and build social peace," President Boluarte's office wrote on Twitter.

It is known, Bouarte, who previously served as vice president and was appointed after Castillo's dismissal, said he would remain president until elections were held.