Canada’s support for peaceful, rights-based solutions to the crisis in Peru
The following letter was sent to Minister Melanie Joly, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs on January 17, 2023
Dear Honourable Minister Joly,
The Americas Policy Group (APG) is gravely alarmed by the reports received from our local partners concerning the political crisis in Peru. Countrywide popular mobilizations have been met with violent state repression and lethal force. To date, this has resulted in the deaths of 49 people, including teenagers, and hundreds more people have been injured. Recent state violence has been most pronounced in the largely Indigenous regions of Ayacucho, Cusco, and Puno in southern Peru.
APG categorically condemns the use of lethal force and other repressive measures against demonstrators in Peru. Security forces must comply with international standards on the use of force and be brought to account for violating them. Peruvian authorities must guarantee the protection of human rights and peacefully engage with civil society to implement solutions that address legitimate demands.
We call on the Government of Canada to prioritize human rights in Peru, speak up for the protection of the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest, and publicly condemn the Peruvian State’s use of violence against demonstrators. We also call on Canada to urge Peruvian authorities to deploy all available resources to resolve the conflict through dialogue, listening to all voices, without discrimination, in order to avoid more loss of life and human rights violations.
We thank you for your attention and look forward to continued engagement with you and your colleagues regarding constructive responses at such a critical moment for Peruvians and the region.
Background for APG Letter
Re: Canada’s support for peaceful, rights-based solutions to the crisis in Peru
On December 7th, 2022, the Congress of the Republic of Peru removed President Pedro Castillo from office and installed Vice-President Dina Boluarte as the new President of Peru. This followed the failed attempt by
then President Castillo to dissolve Congress. Following President Boluarte’s ascension to office, Peruvian civil society mobilized to express a number of grievances and press for immediate general elections, among other demands. On December 14th, President Boluarte declared a state of emergency, granting the current government sweeping powers to impose curfews, deploy the military, and suspend civil liberties.
In addition to immediate general elections, Indigenous Peoples, human rights organizations, trade unions, and broader civil society are calling for an end to state violence against demonstrators, justice for the victims and survivors of human rights violations, the guarantee and protection of human rights, respect for labour rights, and the establishment of a Constituent Assembly through which to draft a new Constitution rooted in democracy and social justice.
The Americas Policy Group is a national network that brings together over 20 international development NGOs, human rights and faith-based organizations, labour unions, solidarity groups, and research institutions. It has more than 30 years of experience of working for human rights and justice in Latin America, including Peru. The APG expresses its solidarity with the Peruvian people in their struggle for a peaceful, transparent, and democratic solution to the current political crisis in Peru. We firmly support the right of Peruvians to demand and participate in democratic processes and assert respect for their fundamental human rights.