'The people are not afraid any more': young Peruvians rise up to demand change
After a tumultuous week, Peru’s burgeoning grassroots movement says it will not accept a return to business as usual
Dan Collyns in Lima
@yachay_dc
Wed 25 Nov 2020 05.30 EST
After a tumultuous week in which Peru saw three presidents – and a brutal police backlash against massive pro-democracy protests – a nascent youth movement has emerged with a clear message to the country’s politicians.
Under the rallying cry “They messed with the wrong generation”, the non-partisan group is warning Peru’s elected representatives that they will not tolerate a return to the business-as-usual world of dirty tricks and backroom deals.
The grassroots movement claimed another victory on Tuesday, when the caretaker president, Francisco Sagasti, announced an overhaul of the police force, appointing a new police chief and sacking more than a dozen top brass officers.
In a televised address to the nation, Sagasti also expressed his “deep regret” for the heavy-handed police repression in which two young people died and others were gravely injured. He also apologized for incidents in which police humiliated young women, allegedly forcing them to strip naked.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/25/peru-youth-movement-politics