Peru reopens some airports ahead of debate over vote

Bloomberg

Peru’s government is reopening some airports ahead of another attempt by congress to approve early elections to calm protesters and alleviate the country’s political crisis.
The airport in Juliaca, in southern Peru, will resume operations while the airport in the south-central city of Ayacucho could resume operations on Tuesday, Transport Minister Paola Lazarte said in a tweet from the ministry. Work is ongoing to resume flights at a third airport in Arequipa, also in the south, as “soon as possible.”
Operations at the airport in the ancient city of Cuzco have returned to normal after police and armed forces helped to retake the facility, the transportation ministry said.
Protests continued in Peru, a day after President Dina Boluarte ruled out resigning and reiterated calls to bring forward elections. Unrest has swept the country since former President Pedro Castillo, whose five-year term was scheduled to end in 2026, was impeached by legislators. Castillo’s supporters, who have been protesting his removal, are demanding elections as soon as possible.
“We are going to be firm here until congress resolves the early elections,” Boluarte said during a press conference with members of her cabinet and the armed forces.
Congress voted against an attempt to bring forward the elections to 2023. Hours later, the president of congress Jose Williams announced legislators will reconsider the proposal. Congress said on Twitter that it will resume the legislative session on Tuesday.
Boluarte, Castillo’s vice president who was sworn in by congress after his ousting, first called for elections to be brought forward two years to 2024 and then backed an even-speedier timeline as the crisis escalated.
The situation has led to road blockades and disruptions to airline and ground transportation. The government declared a 30-day nationwide state of emergency in an attempt to restore order.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on “Peru’s institutions and civil authorities to redouble their efforts to make needed reforms and safeguard democratic stability,” according to details of a phone call with Boluarte. He stressed the need for dialogue to ease divisions. A human rights delegation from the Organization of American States announced a visit Peru to push “dialogue channels”.