A poster depicting Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is seen at a camping ground of opposers of Boluarte, with soup kitchens at the Tupac Amaru square in Cusco, Peru on February 1, 2023. The Peruvian Congress resumed debate on bringing forward elections for this year in a bid to end weeks of deadly protests that have brought parts of the country to a standstill, after recent failed attempts to agree on a plan to do so. (Photo by Ivan FLORES / AFP)
Lima, Peru — Peru’s congress on Wednesday voted down a third bid to advance elections from April 2024 to this year, a move sought by President Dina Boluarte to calm deadly unrest amid anti-government protests.
After five hours of debate, lawmakers rejected a bill that would have advanced elections to December by 68 votes to 54, with two abstentions.
Peru has been embroiled in a political crisis with near-daily demonstrations since December 7, when then president Pedro Castillo was arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.
In seven weeks of demonstrations, 48 people — including one police officer — have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters, according to the human rights ombudsman’s office.
Roadblocks erected by protesters have caused shortages of food, fuel and other basic commodities in several regions of the Andean nation.
Demonstrators demand the dissolution of Congress, a new constitution, and the resignation of Boluarte, who as vice president took over with Castillo gone.
In December, lawmakers moved elections originally due in 2026 up to April 2024 — but as protesters dug in their heels, Boluarte called for holding the vote this year instead.
A first bill to make this possible was voted down last week.
Boluarte has said that if a second attempt at passing the bill also failed, as it now has, she would propose a constitutional reform allowing a first voting round to be held in October and a runoff in December.
According to a survey by the Institute of Peruvian Studies, 73 percent of citizens want elections this year.