MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd December, 2022) A young entrepreneur in Peru's capital, Lima, explained to Sputnik why millions of Peruvians continued to protest in support of the ousted president Pedro Castillo following his impeachment and detention.
Jackely Sheyla Broncano Jaramillo's life was filled with love, happiness and joy, as she was the owner of a spa named La Casita De Paris (The Little House of Paris) in Lima. In addition to offering spa services tailored for her female clients, the 34-year-old entrepreneur also organized limousine parties, colorful glitter and slime parties, as well as birthday events for children.
However, when Peru's congress impeached president Castillo on December 7, Jaramillo felt she could no longer just focus on the peace and joy in her personal life because she was concerned about the fate of her country.
"Yes. I have been running this business for seven years and I have a very good quality of life. But I put myself in this fight because it hurts me to see Peru suffer. The rural people (in Peru) have always been mistreated by the government in all possible inhumane ways," Jaramillo told Sputnik.
Putting her personal business on hold, Jaramillo decided to join millions of Peruvians around the country to march in the streets and demand the new government free Castillo, who was placed under an 18-month detention by the nation's Supreme Court, and restore his presidency.
"It's been very difficult for my business. But we're in this situation precisely because of individualism and selfishness. We can't think of individualism right now. I joined the protests a few hours after they carried out a plan to put the president in jail. We marched in other areas of Lima after the police surrounded the Plaza San Martin," she said.
Jaramillo and other supporters of Castillo viewed his impeachment as a coup d'etat by the well-connected members of Peru's congress.
"We continue to support Castillo because he was elected by our vote. The members of congress have connections with big businesses, who own the media, the entire food market and the entire pharmacy market. The United States supports them strategically," she said.
Before Castillo was impeached in early December, his presidency was plagued by sporadic protests organized by supporters of right-leaning politicians such as Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori who held office from 1990 to 2000.
Keiko Fujimori lost to Castillo in the second round of the presidential elections in Peru in July 2021.
As a long-time supporter of former president Fujimori, Silvia Caballero Crousillat previously told Sputnik that she tried to organize protests against Castillo as she saw Keiko Fujimori's losses in 2011, 2016 and 2021 as an "injustice." She explained that the political division in Peru usually followed cultural and racial lines as those who stood against Castillo were usually of European descent like Crousillat, while those from more rural areas supported the now ousted president.
Castillo was born into an impoverished and illiterate rural family in the Chota Province in northwest Peru. As a former elementary school teacher who later became the leader of the teachers' union and organized strikes, Castillo's humble upbringing turned him into the perfect icon to represent the left-leaning policies.
For his supporters like Jaramillo, Castillo was their hope to fight against the interests of the big businesses that they viewed as exploiting the working class in the country.
"I support Castillo's policies against the monopolies that run our country. Those companies concentrate almost 100% of the market. That is not viable. It is not fair since they manage the market at will," Jaramillo said.
The young entrepreneur argued that those who protested against Castillo were only a small group of wealthy elites who are connected to the big businesses.
"Those who do not support Castillo are a smaller group of the wealthiest families in Lima. They're those who run the monopolies. They pay people to support them," Jaramillo said.
Nevertheless, the harsh crackdowns from the new government led by Dina Boluarte against supporters of Castillo concerned Jaramillo the most.
"The situation is desperate. They (Boluarte's government) are killing many people, including the elderly and children. They are shooting at all of us. The detained women are being raped. They killed some children and made them disappear. We have videos to prove everything. But the (Boluarte's) government is ignoring us (our demands)," Jaramillo said.
The young entrepreneur from Lima shared with Sputnik a number of videos, which showed several protesters bleeding heavily from what appeared to be gunshot wounds while being carried away by others. In one of the videos, dozens of police officers in anti-riot gear could be seen firing at the protesters.
Most of the violent clashes between protesters and the riot police took place in rural provinces in Peru, as many supporters of Castillo tried to block the highways leading to the capital city of Lima.
The escalation of violence during the protests has left at least 25 people dead, Peruvian authorities said.
Several local politicians in Peru have questioned the government's heavy-handed approach against the protesters who supported Castillo, Jaramillo added.
"The (regional) leaders and authorities of Peru are denouncing the massacres. But the (Boluarte's) central government is not paying any attention. Many mayors and local authorities have denounced the central government," she said.
Foreign tourists trying to enjoy the beautiful sights in Peru were also caught in the mass protests all over the country.
After traveling through the Amazonian jungle and gorgeous mountains around Cusco in Peru for two weeks, Anastasia, a tourist from Russia who only gave her first name, was trying to reach the beach resort city of Mancora in the northwest of the country when the protesters blocked the Pan-American highway.
"It was supposed to be a 20-hour trip by bus. But after seven hours, we got stuck in a huge traffic jam on the Pan-American highway near the city named Chao. It lasted for almost two days as we became anxious and tired. The most horrifying thing was that there were still hundreds of people who were still stuck on the Pan-American highway," Anastasia told Sputnik.
Fortunately, Anastasia was traveling with a group of five friends from Russia. They were able to find a driver of a minivan who agreed to take them to a city named Trujillo, which was about 45 miles away from the traffic jam, for only $15 per person. Anastasia and her Russian friends were able to move onto Mancora from Trujillo.
However, for Peruvians like Jaramillo who support Castillo, international support is desperately needed so that they can continue to fight for what they believe in.
"Please! I ask for help. We're not giving up. Please support us. I have already lost many comrades. There's more violence at the protests every day. How the police take the women and rape them? This is what happening to many women. And young people are being shot directly as the videos showed," Jaramillo said.
