Crisis in the Andes: when trade talks meet tear gas in Peru

The 2024 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, held last November in Lima, was intended to highlight the country’s prominence on the global stage of economic diplomacy. However, the international gathering was overshadowed by escalating political unrest, as thousands of Peruvians took to the streets to protest a government accused of illegitimacy, repression, and negligence. While heads of state discussed trade and cooperation inside air-conditioned conference halls, outside, the air was charged with tear gas and fury.

While I was not there on the ground, I remained glued to my phone, following live updates from independent media and activists documenting the protests in real time. My conversations with family and friends back home painted an even starker picture—many expressed fear, anger, and exhaustion, watching their country descend further into crisis. Since I moved to the UK in 2023, I have been constantly checking social media and news every day because I feel the need to know what is happening in my country. Being away has only intensified my urgency to document and amplify these voices from abroad. This article is my way of materialising that need—to ensure that the stories of those affected by the crisis are not ignored or forgotten.

Held under the theme of “Creating Resilient Economies,” the APEC summit sought to emphasise regional cooperation in trade, digital innovation, and environmental sustainability; however, the event unfolded against the backdrop of widespread public discontent. Protesters gathered near the summit venue in Lima, holding banners that read “Killer Dina” and “My dad was a bus driver. He was killed by a hitman accomplice to a traitorous government” – drawing attention to both the lives lost during the government’s violent suppression of earlier uprisings and the growing insecurity crisis.

Leaders attending APEC, including (then) US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping, navigated not just geopolitical negotiations but also the optics of their presence in a nation plagued by political instability. For critics, the summit’s proceedings highlighted the gulf between the lofty goals of international cooperation and the harsh realities faced by Peruvians.

The protests come at a time when Peru is facing its most severe political and social crisis in decades. President Dina Boluarte, who assumed office in December 2022 after the controversial ousting of her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, remains deeply unpopular, with just 3% of approval according to the latest ratings in November and December. 

Accused of presiding over what protesters call a de facto dictatorship, Boluarte’s government has faced repeated allegations of human rights abuses. The crackdown on demonstrations resulted in the deaths of 49 Peruvians, including Indigenous protesters in rural areas and seven minors, at the hands of police and military forces in December 2022 and January 2023, according to Peru’s Ombudsperson’s Office. These deaths have become a chilling symbol of the government’s disregard for its people.

As a Peruvian immigrant living in the UK, my physical distance from Peru has increased the urgency I feel in documenting and analysing the unfolding crisis. It has sharpened my perspective on how global interests intersect with local realities, overshadowing voices that deserve the most attention. So, I aim to bridge these worlds.

High insecurity: A systemic crisis fuelled by governance failures

Beyond the political repression, Peru is grappling with a growing insecurity crisis that has exacerbated public anger. Hitmen and extortion rackets of organised crime networks have flourished amid weak governance and law enforcement. The coastal city of Trujillo, once known for its colonial charm and its eternal spring, has become a hotspot for violent crime, with frequent shootings in broad daylight. 

Even in Lima, the nation’s capital, wealthy neighbourhoods previously considered safe now see residents living in fear of criminal gangs. Alarmingly, an average of five people are murdered every day.

According to former left-wing Peruvian congresswoman (2016-2019), activist and member of the social movement En Movimiento, Indira Huilca, this climate of insecurity is closely tied to the government’s neglect of broader national issues. Huilca has dedicated her career to addressing systemic inequality and defending systemically marginalised communities in Peru. Notably, she was among the 16 Peruvian lawyers and politicians who filed a case against Dina Boluarte at the International Criminal Court last August for the deaths of 49 Peruvians during the protest against her government. 

I wanted to speak with Indira Huilca because of her long-standing commitment to social justice and human rights in Peru. She has been at the forefront of efforts to hold those in power accountable. Her perspective is invaluable in understanding the intersection of political repression and systemic inequality in Peru today. When we speak, Indira tells me: “The government has abandoned the state’s responsibilities in favour of protecting its own impunity” – highlighting how authorities have prioritised securing their power over addressing public safety concerns. “Today, anyone in a major city can fall victim to serious criminal acts,” she continues. “It is no longer just certain neighbourhoods – this insecurity is generalised and affects everyday people trying to live or work in peace.”

Indira also emphasised that the state’s failure to combat crime has opened spaces for organised criminal groups to thrive. “Extortion, hitmen, and other forms of crime are not just isolated incidents,” she says.” They have become systemic due to a lack of governance.” The convergence of political instability and unchecked criminal networks has left Peruvians more vulnerable than ever. 

As a Peruvian living abroad, I remain intimately connected to the stories of family, friends, and colleagues who grapple with the fear of violence in their daily lives – fear that does not respect social or geographic boundaries. The distance only heightens my sense of urgency to draw attention to how the government’s fixation on retaining power has paved the way for criminal elements to flourish, further endangering an already fragile society.

The legacy of repression

Indira describes the government’s repression as deliberate and systematic. “The level of violence used against protesters in December 2022 and January 2023 was not accidental,” she tells me. “It was a calculated decision to stabilise a deeply unpopular regime, even if it meant mass killings. These were not isolated actions but part of a larger repressive strategy.” 

Her comments underscore the chilling intentionality behind the state’s violence – a strategy rooted in a desire to maintain power at all costs, even if it requires silencing dissent through force. This approach not only exposes the fragility of Boluarte’s government but also reflects a broader pattern of using state-sanctioned violence to suppress marginalised voices.

The deaths of protesters have left deep scars, especially in Peru’s Andean region, where disenfranchisement runs deepest. Indigenous communities and rural activists accuse the government of prioritising extractive industries over their rights and livelihoods. The brutality of the state’s response to dissent – where live ammunition was used against civilians – has drawn condemnation from human rights organisations worldwide. For these communities, the repression is not merely a response to protest but a continuation of long-standing marginalisation and state neglect. 

Undoubtedly, the government is sending a stark message: protecting elite interests takes precedence over the lives and well-being of its most vulnerable citizens.

Indira also tells me about the long-term implications of these events. “The massacres were meant to silence dissent, but they have instead deepened the divide between the government and ordinary citizens,” she explains. 

The alienation caused by these actions goes beyond anger; it has solidified a pervasive distrust in state institutions. Indigenous and rural communities, who have long endured systemic inequality, now see the government not just as neglectful but as actively hostile. This deepening divide threatens to destabilise the already fragile social fabric of Peru, where historical grievances are compounded by contemporary repression.

The sluggish response of Peru’s justice system to the deaths of protesters has further entrenched this sense of alienation. 

“Despite overwhelming evidence, including audiovisual material, the judicial system has been slow and reluctant to act. The lack of cooperation from the police and military only reinforces this impunity,” Indira notes. When accountability is absent, the cycle of repression and resistance becomes self-perpetuating, leaving victims and their families with little recourse beyond international interventions.

Hope now rests on external bodies stepping in where domestic institutions have failed. The prospect of the International Criminal Court taking up Dina’s case has provided some hope for the families of victims, but the road to justice remains long and uncertain. While the physical distance shields the Peruvians living abroad from the direct impact of state violence, it intensifies our responsibility to shed light on these struggles and ensure that the world does not look away.

For many Peruvians, the actions of Boluarte’s government evoke memories of authoritarianism from the nation’s turbulent past. Reflecting on the current administration’s alliance with Congress and economic elites, Indira says: “This regime has lost all legitimacy and operates as a puppet for entrenched political interests.” 

She concludes our call by stressing the need for continued resistance and visibility: “The greatest risk now is the normalisation of this crisis, as the government and its allies seek to bury these events under the guise of stability.” In that sense, the establishment uses a “terruqueo” strategy – branding protesters as terrorists to delegitimise their demands. 

This tactic, deeply rooted during the internal conflict in the 1980s and 1990s, stigmatises dissent and perpetuates a narrative that equates protest with destabilisation. By invoking this painful chapter, the government marginalises those who speak out and reinforces the culture of silence and compliance. 

Yet, as Indira aptly notes, the greatest risk is the normalisation of this crisis. If these massacres are allowed to fade into obscurity, the cycle of repression will remain unbroken, and the stage will remain open for new tragedies to unfold.

A fractured future: confronting authoritarianism in Peru and beyond

The APEC summit may have momentarily turned global attention toward Peru. Still, the government’s failure to address the underlying causes of unrest – political illegitimacy, systemic inequality, and rampant insecurity – threatens to undermine the resilience it sought to promote on the world stage. For many Peruvians, APEC offered little reassurance that their concerns were being heard.

Peru’s struggles mirror a growing trend across Latin America, where democratically elected governments increasingly resort to authoritarian tactics to maintain control. For those of us watching from the UK, this regional backslide into repression evokes feelings of helplessness. 

Far from home, our ability to contribute to meaningful change feels limited. However, it is essential to keep these issues visible, resisting the normalisation of authoritarianism that threatens the democratic aspirations of millions across the region. 

Peru’s current trajectory may seem dire. However, its story is part of a larger narrative that we must confront together – as citizens, immigrants, and advocates for a more just and democratic Latin America.

As Lima’s streets returned to a tense normalcy following the summit, the message from protesters was clear: international diplomacy cannot ignore domestic realities. For Peru to move forward, it must first confront its fractured present. Until then, no number of global summits will cover up the cracks in its fragile democracy and the deaths by this government.