International

Peru protesters mourn their dead as clashes continue

Photo: Juan Carlos Cisneros / AFP

January 12 | By AFP |

Demonstrators in Peru blocked roads and held mass funerals on Wednesday for those killed in violent anti-government protests that have gripped the country for weeks, as the United States called for “restraint” on both sides.

The deadly clashes have spread to the tourist city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, where one protester was killed Wednesday and more than 30 people, including 19 police officers, were wounded.

In total, at least 41 people have died in more than a month of demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, who took over after the ouster and arrest of her predecessor Pedro Castillo on December 7.

The violence has drawn a rebuke from the United Nations, and a delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) arrived in the country Wednesday to investigate the protests and accusations of political repression.

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On Tuesday, Peru’s prosecutor’s office said it was opening a genocide investigation against Boluarte and other top officials as a result of the deaths.

The epicenter of the protests has been in the Aymara region of Puno, on the border with Bolivia, where thousands of residents walked the streets of Juliaca on Wednesday with the coffins of 17 civilians who were killed earlier this week.

Each coffin bore a photograph and was draped in a Peruvian flag.

“Dina killed me with bullets,” read the white coffin of Edgar Huaranca, carried on the shoulders of six family members.

Dominga Hancco held a portrait of her young daughter — shot dead during a protest.

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“She was walking and only complained that her belly hurt,” she told AFP. “A few minutes passed and she fell, no one noticed how (the bullet) entered.”

The government has imposed a three-day curfew on the Andean region in a bid to calm the tensions, while also declaring a day of mourning on Wednesday for those killed.

In Cusco, demonstrators tried to reach the city’s airport after mobilizing to demand the president’s ouster.

Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, with protesters responding by throwing stones. Some demonstrators held up street signs as shields against projectiles fired by security forces.

The ombudsman’s office said one protester had been killed, identifying him on Twitter as Remo Candia Guevara, the president of a local community group.

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“We demand an immediate investigation to find those responsible for the death and proceed to the respective sanction,” it added.

In Arequipa, Peru’s second city, hundreds also marched against the government, while in Tacna, on the border with Chile, an indefinite strike began, marked by episodes of vandalism.

Rights probe launched

The regional governments of Puno and Cusco are demanding Boluarte step down as a first step to resolving the crisis.

Puno began an indefinite strike a week ago to demand the resignation of Boluarte, immediate presidential and legislative elections and the convening of a Constituent Assembly.

The IACHR commissioners were received by Boluarte at the Government Palace, the seat of the Peruvian executive.

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“We are going to verify the human rights situation. We regret the loss of human life during the demonstrations,” said head of mission Edgar Stuardo Ralon, whose delegation will remain in Peru until Friday.

They will meet with authorities, victims and their relatives in Lima, Ica and Arequipa.

The United States on Wednesday urged restraint and the minimal use of force, and backed an investigation into the dozens of deaths.

“We recognize the right for peaceful protest and expressing grievances through democratic channels, and call for calm, dialogue and for all parties to exercise restraint and non-violence,” a State Department spokesperson said.

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International

Death toll from southern Spain train crash rises to 40

The death toll from the train accident that occurred on Sunday in southern Spain has risen to 40, according to investigative sources cited by EFE on Monday afternoon.

Since early Monday, search operations have focused on the damaged carriages of a Renfe train bound for Huelva, which collided with the last derailed cars of an Iryo train traveling from Málaga to Madrid after it left the tracks.

The crash has also left more than 150 people injured. Of these, 41 remain hospitalized, including 12 in intensive care units at hospitals across the Andalusia region.

More than 220 Civil Guard officers are working at the site, searching the railway line and surrounding areas for key evidence to help identify victims and determine the causes of the accident.

The tragedy has revived memories of the deadliest railway disasters in Europe in recent decades. In Spain, the most severe occurred on July 24, 2013, when an Alvia train derailed near Santiago de Compostela, killing 80 people and injuring 130 others.

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At the European level, the worst rail disaster took place on June 3, 1998, in Eschede, northern Germany, when a high-speed train struck a bridge pillar at 200 kilometers per hour, resulting in 98 deaths and 120 injuries.

International

Spain’s Prime Minister pledges transparency after train crash kills at least 39

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged on Monday to ensure “absolute transparency” regarding the causes of a train crash that killed at least 39 people on Sunday in southern Spain, warning that the death toll could still rise.

The fatal accident occurred in the Andalusia region, where the number of confirmed deaths reached 39 by Monday morning, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior.

Authorities were preparing to deploy heavy machinery to lift several derailed train cars. “We are waiting for cranes to be installed this morning to lift cars one, two and three of the Alvia train, which suffered the most damage,” said Andalusian regional president Juanma Moreno Bonilla on regional television. “It is likely that once they are lifted, we may find more victims,” he added.

The disaster also left more than 120 people injured. As of Monday afternoon, 43 victims remained hospitalized, including 12 in intensive care, according to emergency services.

International

Over 160 christian worshippers kidnapped in Kaduna Church attacks

More than 160 Christian worshippers were abducted on Sunday during coordinated attacks carried out by armed gangs on two churches in a remote village in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria, according to a cleric and a United Nations report accessed by AFP on Monday.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has witnessed a renewed surge in mass kidnappings since November, prompting the United States government to carry out military strikes on Christmas Day in the northwestern state of Sokoto.

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Nigerian armed groups of targeting Christians, describing the violence as a form of “genocide” against the religious community.

According to Reverend Joseph Hayab, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the north, the attackers arrived in large numbers, blocked access to the churches, and forced worshippers to flee into nearby forests.

“The attackers came in large numbers, sealed off the entrances to the churches, and drove the faithful into the bush,” Hayab told AFP.