Arequipa Airport suspends operations due to protests
The Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón International Airport in Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city, suspended operations from 11:00 a.m. (local time) “to protect the integrity of the citizenry” and in the face of anti-government protests, the Ministry of Transport and Communications reported.
The closure of the airport was announced on the ministry’s Twitter account, which stated that “this measure is being implemented to ensure the integrity of citizens and the safety of flight operations.”
The southern region of Arequipa was the scene of a confrontation between protesters and the Peruvian National Police (PNP) this Thursday, at the start of a national day of protests aimed at marching in Lima to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.
According to radio station RPP, construction workers blocked one of the entrances to the city of Arequipa at the San Isidro Bridge and clashed with police when agents arrived to clear the area with tear gas canisters.
As a result of the confrontation, three protesters were injured and transferred to Arequipa Regional Hospital, the outlet added.
The major national march, dubbed “The Lima Takeover,” has sparked a spate of protests in different parts of the country and the death toll has so far risen to 54 after the confirmed deaths of a 51-year-old woman, aged 10 and a baby , who died in his mother’s womb when she was a teenager, according to the Ombudsman’s Office.