Anti-Keiko protesters march as Fujimori takes office in Peru
Key Takeaways
- Hundreds marched against Keiko Fujimori in Lima.
- Protesters accused the new government of political continuity.
- Families of victims joined activists in the demonstration.
Relatives of victims, activists and opposition supporters marched through Lima, accusing the new administration of continuing the policies of former president Dina Boluarte.
Hundreds of protesters marched through the streets of Lima on Tuesday as Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president at Congress.
Demonstrators, escorted by police, carried banners reading "Keiko, you are going to fall" and "Peru no longer wants rats, Fujimori never again." Outside the Palace of Justice, protesters also symbolically washed Peruvian flags.
The march brought together relatives of people killed during anti-government protests in 2022 and 2023 under former president Dina Boluarte, activists, members of social organisations and defeated presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez, who continues to reject the election result.
Raul Samillan, representative of the National Organisation of Relatives of the Murdered and Victims of the 2022-2023 Massacres, said the demonstration was aimed at rejecting what he described as a government of continuity.
"We are here in the capital, once again, to reject this government of continuity of Mrs Keiko Fujimori, because they are the ones who ordered the killings and caused all these wounds in our regions," he said.
Protester Giovana Mendoza criticised Fujimori's inaugural address, saying it did not reflect the country's reality.
"It is a setback for our country, to go back to those years we lived through in the 90s. So many killings, so many massacres, so many disappearances, forced sterilisations, among others. That is Mrs Keiko Fujimori," she declared.
Mendoza said the symbolic washing of the national flag represented the suffering endured by victims and their families.
"We have just finished washing our flag, a flag that was dirty from so much gunpowder from the police and military who have soiled the flag. We have also washed the flag because it was stained with so much blood from our relatives who have been killed and also from the survivors," she added.
Fujimori assumed the presidency after defeating Roberto Sanchez in June by fewer than 50,000 votes. During her inaugural speech, she pledged a tough approach to crime and promised to strengthen Peru's regional partnerships and expand cooperation with countries in the Middle East.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
