 This is Zoe Alexandre with People's Dispatch. I'm here in Ayacucho, Peru. For the past two weeks the people of Peru have been on the streets, on the highways, blocking major roads, closing airports, all protesting the coup against Democratic elected president Pedro Castillo, calling for resignation of the coup led government of a closing of the Congress and a constituent assembly immediately. Here in Ayacucho there was a massacre on December 15th. Ten young people were killed by the military and police. Reports from human rights organizations show that the military used live bullets on protesters. Some of them, some of those who were killed were even just on their way back from work. There's a lot of worry here and in the rest of Peru about these human rights violations. They've been demanding that there be justice. Meanwhile, Dina Bolvarte told mainstream media on Sunday that these crimes would be judged by military court. This has been actually rejected since then by members of the military. But the tension continues in Peru. On December 7th, Pedro Castillo was overthrown in a legislative coup carried out by the country's right-men dominated Congress. Castillo's forcible removal and illegal arrest brought tens of thousands of citizens into the streets demanding structural changes to the country's political system. These protesting citizens mostly belong to the long neglected countryside of Peru and who feel deeply represented by Castillo. For the past two weeks since December 7th, indigenous and peasant communities, popular movements, social organizations, student associations and trade unions have been organizing demonstrations and roadblocks and occupying local airports in different parts of the country. They're demanding the release and reinstatement of Castillo, the resignation of the defacto president Dina Bolvarte, the dissolution of the right-men dominated Congress, fresh parliamentary elections and the establishment of a constituent assembly to change the country's 1993 constitution. The Bolvarte government has responded to the social uprising with a strong security clampdown included the declaration of the state of emergency at the national level and deployment of armed soldiers and police officials. According to Peru's National Human Rights Coordinator, as of the 23rd, 27 protesters have died because of violent repression by public security forces. Apart from this, 60 serious hospitalizations and 113 arbitrary arrests have also been reported. Los Inocentes, Los Humildes, llegaron a manga para qué, para que se bañen, para que están bañados con la sangre. Quedamos un destrozado, mi hijo, luchando por su pueblo, luchando por su país. Humilde, hijo, era humilde, no era un delincuente, no era ninguna persona, el único que era un campicino. Dina Bolvarte's government has repeatedly labeled the protesters' terrorists to delegitimize the widespread opposition to her rule. The mainstream media in the country is acting as an accomplice to this. They have called protesters' bundles, criminals' terrorists, they have published unverified reports alleging that protesters have been using weapons and have links to criminal groups and always emphasized the disruption to daily life caused by the protests. But the violence by state security forces is not being highlighted. However, in the face of intensifying protests, Peruz Congress has approved a bill to advance general elections by two years to April 2024. In order to take effect, the bill must be ratified in the second vote in the coming months. Meanwhile, Castillo continues to be imprisoned in the Barbadio prison in capital city Lima. Outside the prison, a group of supporters is maintaining a permanent vigil, expressing their support for the ousted president. The demands continue to be very strong against the school government, calling for renovation of this political system that excludes the majority of Peruvians, excludes the indigenous, the peasant people, the people who live outside of Lima, and really just calling for a new system where they're able to participate. We'll be following these protests as they continue, as people continue to demand that there be justice, that there be a new government, that the people have a say in what happens improving politics and society.