- Title: Police on horseback charge towards protesters in Peru demanding early elections
- Date: 6th September 2019
- Summary: LIMA, PERU (SEPTEMBER 5, 2019) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CLASHING WITH POLICE VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SHOUTING: (Spanish) "THE PEOPLE DEMAND, SHUT DOWN CONGRESS!" POLICE ON HORSEBACK CHARGING TOWARDS PROTESTERS PROTESTERS MARCHING ALONG AVENUE PROTESTERS BANGING ON DRUMS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JORGE BRACAMONTE, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF PERU (CNDDHH), SAYING: "We are demanding that Congress be closed, early elections be held and for this process of calling for new elections -where the authorities of both the legislative and executive system must be renewed- will allow us to initiate a serious discussion on the national problems in the country, which are serious." SIGN THAT READS (Spanish) "EARLY ELECTIONS, HOLD ON VIZCARRA" GENERAL OF MARCH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, CAROLINA OYAGUE, SAYING: "We are not going to allow a Congress, which is full of criminals and prosecuted people, to continue to shield the corrupt and continues to curb the progress and development that Peru needs for the good of all Peruvians." SIGN THAT READS (Spanish) "NO TO A CORRUPT CONGRESS" VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MARCHING
- Embargoed: 20th September 2019 03:14
- Keywords: clashes in Lima march corrupt early elections Peru Vizcarra
- Location: LIMA, PERU
- City: LIMA, PERU
- Country: Peru
- Topics: Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA001AVIRRYF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Clashes broke out between police and protesters - in their thousands- who marched on Thursday (September 5) in Peru in support of the government proposal to advance the general elections by 2020, amid a continuing confrontation between President Martin Vizcarra and the Congress of opposition majority.
Under the slogan "let them all go" and "out with the corrupt," protesters marched through downtown Lima in a protest repeated by other major cities in the country.
Vizcarra, a vice president who took the reins of the mining nation in March 2018 after the resignation of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, proposed ending the legislative and presidential terms of office a year earlier than scheduled in the face of opposition to his efforts to pass anti-corruption measures.
Opposition lawmakers immediately condemned the proposal, saying it created uncertainty and fueled political conflict.
Vizcarra said the proposal would be presented to Congress and must be ratified in a referendum.
Vizcarra said in his address that many people had told him during his travels through Peru in the last year that they do not feel represented by Congress and asked him to shut it down.
Parties that have expressed opposition to the proposal included the right-wing Popular Force party, whose leader, Keiko Fujimori, has been detained in an investigation into alleged corruption.
Lawmakers who support Vizcarra's government and some independents expressed approval of the idea, however.
(Production: Carlos Valdez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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