Anti-government protests in Peru’s capital spilled into a second day on Sunday, with hundreds of demonstrators clashing with police in downtown Lima. At least 18 people, including police officers and journalists, were injured over the weekend, according to tallies from authorities and rights groups.
The demonstrations, led by the youth-driven “Generation Z” collective, marched once again toward the presidential palace and Congress, where security forces had been deployed in large numbers.
Unrest has been simmering for months, fueled by rising organized crime and public anger over corruption allegations against the government and the conservative-controlled Congress. Tensions flared this week after lawmakers passed a law requiring young adults to join private pension funds, despite widespread complaints about unstable employment conditions.
By nightfall on Sunday, protesters were hurling stones and Molotov cocktails at police, who fired tear gas in response. “I am outraged, I feel completely misled by this government… and this Congress that serves the political parties,” said 28-year-old demonstrator Xiomi Aguilar, calling the parties “a mafia entrenched in the state.”
For 18-year-old student Jonatan Esquen, the protests marked “the beginning of an awakening,” adding that young people were becoming increasingly active both on social media and in politics.
Saturday’s violence was among the worst seen this year. Police said about 450 people joined the clashes near the presidential and parliamentary buildings, damaging roads and public property. Twelve police officers were injured, including a female officer with serious wounds and another with multiple contusions, both of whom remain under hospital observation.
Journalists were also caught in the crossfire. The National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP) reported that six reporters were struck by police pellets, including two from Exitosa Noticias radio. Photojournalist Cesar Zamalloa of Hildebrandt en sus Trece said officers “began firing pellets… directly at the bodies” of people. “That’s when I felt an impact on my leg and hip,” he told the ANP.
Human rights groups and the journalists’ union condemned the police response, describing it as excessive repression.
President Dina Boluarte’s administration has seen approval ratings collapse since she took office, with her term set to end in July 2026. A new survey published by El Comercio on Sunday found nearly 80 percent of Peruvians say they are ashamed of the government, while 85 percent say the same of Congress.
Authorities have yet to release final figures on arrests or injuries from the weekend’s protests.