Hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators were arrested Saturday after police in Peru used an armored vehicle to ram through the gates of the oldest university in the western hemisphere and arrested those gathered there en masse.
At least 200 people remained jailed hours after the raid on the National University of San Marcos (UNMSM) – including a journalist, as well as a mother and a young girl whose detention has since sparked outrage among the school’s faculty, human rights organizations, and social media users.
“Under no state of law can a girl be detained,” wrote Indira Huilca, a UNMSM sociologist and former member of Peruvian Congress.
“Clearly the Peruvian police are violating the human rights of detainees,” she concluded.
Her colleagues at the school from the Faculty of Arts and the Humanities issued their own statement expressing their total “rejection of the authorization of the violent police intervention” on the part of the regime.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro reacted with shock to footage of the assault on Twitter, urging the Organization of American States to look into the matter.
Peru’s National Association of Journalists demanded the “immediate release” of reporter Paty Condori, who they said Saturday was being held at the country’s Counter-Terrorist Directorate.
Interior Minister Vicente Romero defended the actions of security forces and appeared to attempt to pin the blame on the director of the university, claiming that the assault was carried out at her direct request.
“I did not know that the police were going to enter with tanks,” she quickly shot back.
Peruvian authorities – who seized power after arresting former President Pedro Castillo last month for his failed coup attempt – have so far struggled to respond to growing outrage over the raid.
Dina Boluarte's government has employed increasing violent methods in an effort to crush an uprising that’s endured for nearly two months. At least 59 people have died in the unrest, and security forces throughout the country continue to be accused of intentionally killing demonstrators.