On Wednesday, the Peruvian police deployed thousands of officers nationwide to maintain public order as around twenty cities prepared to participate in protests demanding the removal of President Dina Boluarte and Congress members, just four months after a series of demonstrations in December and January that resulted in 67 deaths and 1,956 injuries.
The main demonstration was scheduled for the afternoon, and the government announced that it would use force, including firearms if the police's lives are endangered. The Interior Minister, Vicente Romero, stated earlier in the week that if the protests turn violent, the leaders of the protests will be held responsible, and he assured that they have been identified.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Jorge Angulo said on Wednesday to local radio RPP that 24,000 trained police officers will be deployed to contain the protests, following observations by the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding the excessive use of force by Peruvian security forces between December and February.