Peru: Police on high alert amid political turmoil /update 2

Event

The Peruvian police have been place on “maximum alert” throughout the country until further notice following President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski’s March 21 resignation announcement. Lima’s Plaza de Armas, located in front of the Presidential Palace, has been sealed off. The measures have been taken as a precaution due to the potential for social unrest (protests, violence) amid the political turmoil, as has been the case in recent months. However, no major incidents have been reported as of early Thursday, March 22.

Various organizations had called for anti-Kuczynski demonstrations to be held nationwide, including at Lima’s Plaza San Martín, on March 22 to coincide with the scheduled impeachment debate and vote in Congress. It is currently unclear how Kuczynski's resignation announcement will affect the planned protests. Furthermore, the congress could potentially reject Kuczynski’s resignation and continue with impeachment proceedings.

Context

President Kuczynski offered his resignation on March 21 ahead of a planned impeachment vote. Kuczynski has been embroiled in scandal in recent months (he is accused of accepting bribes from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht) and narrowly avoided being impeached in December 2017. On March 20, a video surfaced showing Kuczynski's political allies offering state contracts to a lawmaker from the political opposition in exchange for an anti-impeachment vote; Kuczynski subsequently lost the remaining political support he had to remain in power.

Advice

Individuals in Peru are advised to avoid all demonstrations as a precaution and keep abreast of the situation.