Hundreds Protest in Peru’s Cusco Against New President

Peru continues to experience unrest in the wake of the Dec. 7 arrest of President Pedro Castillo, though some disruptions have subsided as of Dec. 22.

Protesters are continuing to block highways in the departments of Cusco and Puno, though traffic has been restored on the Pan-American Highway, which had previously been blocked in multiple locations. Additional roadblocks and demonstrations on highways remain possible.

Peru's Congress on Tuesday voted to move up general elections from 2026 to April 2024 in a bid to ease tensions and head off deadly protests sparked by the ousting and arrest of president Pedro Castillo, Euronews reported.

The political maelstrom has also touched off a diplomatic row with Mexico, which has voiced its support for Castillo, a leftist onetime schoolteacher.