At least 19 people, including a police officer, have been injured during protests against the government of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte and Congress, according to authorities and human rights advocates.
Hundreds of people marched over the weekend towards the seats of government in central Lima, under a heavy police presence.
Groups of young people threw stones, petrol bombs and fireworks at law enforcement, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
The National Human Rights Coordinator (CNDDHH), a human rights coalition, reported on Sunday that 18 people were injured in the clashes, including a journalist.
“A police officer suffered first-degree burns from a Molotov cocktail during the march organised by various groups,” the National Police reported on Saturday, sharing images of the clashes on social media.
The CNDDHH blamed the police for the violence.
“We call on the police to respect the right to protest. There was no justification for firing large amounts of tear gas, let alone for attacking people,” said Mar Perez, a lawyer for the CNDDHH.
A new march by hundreds of transport workers and the Generation Z youth collective, protesting against alleged corruption and extortion, was dispersed by dozens of police officers using tear gas on Sunday night.
“We are marching against corruption, for life, and against the crime that is killing us every day,” Adriana Flores, a 28-year-old engineer, told the AFP news agency on Sunday.
Social unrest has increased since the Boluarte government passed a law on September 5 requiring young people to contribute to private pension funds, despite job insecurity and an unofficial employment rate of over 70 percent.
Boluarte’s approval ratings have plunged in the final stretch of her term, which is set to end on July 28, 2026.
The conservative-majority Congress faces a similar situation due to perceptions of corruption, according to several opinion polls.
Protests have also escalated in Peru over the past six months, following a wave of extortion and murders by organised crime groups.