This is a broad timeline of the 2022–2023 Peruvian protests against the government of Dina Boluarte and the Congress of Peru, sparked by the self-coup attempt of President Pedro Castillo, who was later arrested for his actions. The protests were organized by social organizations and indigenous peoples who felt they experienced political disenfranchisement, specifically on the politically left-wing to far left, with the groups demanding immediate general elections and a constituent assembly to draft a new Constitution of Peru.
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2022.
7 December.
Lima is one of the cities that were summoned. After the message to the nation, it was denounced that the Minister of the Interior, Willy Huerta, ordered the doors of the congress to be opened, which were closed, so that the summoned protesters could storm the congress. However, due to the failure of his self-coup attempt and the subsequent vacancy by the Congress of the Republic, the demonstrations increased. On 7 December, between one and two hundred people gathered in the "Toma de Lima" in the Plaza San Martín and surroundings. However, after the events of the vacancy and detention, the protesters mainly occupied Abancay avenue, which was guarded by police to avoid entering the congress. The RPP outlet considered the pro-government meeting as the largest since Castillo came to power. However, the pro-Castillo mobilization got out of control when they attacked and insulted a journalist in front of the cameras. Panic buying was registered by the population fearing an escalation of events. According to the Voice of America, nearly a thousand people participated on 9 December events.
Some of the first demonstrations were made from the Plaza de Armas of Cuzco, with protesters clashing with other citizens against the self-coup attempt.
In Arequipa, the demonstrations were held from the Plaza de Armas simultaneously with the message to the Nation that lasted briefly with hundreds of people, then they were held again spontaneously. Although the protesters lack a leader, they received support from labor unions such as the Arequipa Departmental Federation of Workers, the Civil Construction Union, and the National Front of Transporters and Drivers of Peru.
The demonstrations were held in the city of Puno on 7 December, whose four congressmen representing the homonymous department elected to abstain in the vacancy motion. These had the support of the president of the Unified Defense Front against the contamination of the Coata basin and Lake Titicaca, who called for new demonstrations between 13 and 15 December. It also received the support of the regional Sutep, which ignored Boluarte's election and declared a permanent mobilization. Dozens of people gathered, which over time expanded to other provinces of San Román and El Collao.
8 December.
Blockades were made to the interprovincial highway in Arequipa. The same happened with the nearby Majes-Siguas sector, where initially there was no predominant police presence.
9 December.
The Superintendence of Land Transportation of People, Cargo and Merchandise announced in a statement that the transportation sector in southern Peru was suspended, where the Panamericana Sur highway is partially blocked. By 9 December, passengers and the police tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with the protesters.
In the city of La Joya, Arequipa where the Panamericana Sur is located, ollas comúnes were made. It is estimated that around 10,000 people participated in these areas of the Arequipa department on 9 December. To expedite traffic, the head of the Police and Public Order Division ordered the deployment of 150 police officers, despite not counting a Minister of the Interior between 9 and 10 December or an emergency decree.
In Ayacucho, the Ayacucho People's Defense Front mobilized from the city, an organization that was restructured during the protests "in other regions because we are creating a national front that will have a historical role in respecting the clamor of the people." During the protest, local social organizations described departmental congressmen Alex Flores, Margot Palacios and Germán Tacuri as "traitors to the homeland." The Ayacucho Agrarian Federation also expressed its support for the dissolution of the congress. At the same time, from the Pampa de Ayacucho, the Summit of the Governor and Mayors of Latin America was held to meet the requests of the political crisis without the participation of the Executive and Legislative powers of Peru.
In Puno, protests also took place in the main square of Juliaca. For their side, the National Federation of Workers in the Education Sector confirmed through the local teachers' union a 24-hour strike and the declaration of persona non grata to congressmen Flavio Cruz, Oscar Zea, Carlos Zeballos and Flores Ancachi for supporting the vacancy motion.
10 December.
The prices of the tickets from the Tacna bus terminal to Arequipa and Lima double. Land access between Cusco and Arequipa via Canchis was also blocked. Among the affected passengers are applicants for the Public Teachers Career held on 9 December.
On the South Pan-American Highway in Ica, the protesters blocked three sectors of the province of Ica (Barrio Chino, La Expansión Urbana, and El Álamo), which are closed to the blockade carried out in La Joya (Arequipa), with tires, stones and other elements. This first led to the arrest of several heavy-duty vehicles according to the Highway Protection Unit of the National Police and also prevented access to Cuzco. On the morning of 10 December, according to the newspaper Correo, the police only unblocked kilometer 48 of the penetration highway to Arequipa.
There were violent confrontations between community members and residents of Andahuaylas against police officers. With 3,000 people participating, during the afternoon, the protesters took 2 policemen hostage and requested a "prisoner exchange". In light of this, a division of special forces from Abancay of the PNP moved to Andahuaylas and arrived in a small plane. Hours after the kidnappings, the demonstrators released the police officers and numerous social organizations from the department of Apurimac declared themselves in a "popular insurgency" and will begin a regional strike starting Monday, 12 December. Clashes erupted in the city between protestors and police in the city. Two protestors, aged 15 and 18, were killed by police shooting from a helicopter, while four more were injured, one of whom critically. In addition, with the new confrontations at the Huacabamba airport, they managed to vandalize the area from burning tires to damaging stores. It is estimated that 50 members of the PNP and collaborators are in these facilities.
Hundreds of protesters gathered peacefully during the day. The San Marcos University Federation (FUSM) joined the march. The great expectation was the arrival of Antauro Humala and his reservists in Lima at 6 pm, which is why there was a great concentration during those hours. The ethnocacerist leader gave a press conference in the Plaza San Martín de Lima where he recognized the government of Dina Boluarte and did not say at any time that he would lead or his party would massively support the marches, which is why he was booed and expelled from the square. After the incident, the numerous demonstrators marched towards the congress and had a confrontation with a police contingent.
In Arequipa, the Region's Popular Struggle Committee announced on 10 December that they would carry out strikes for three days in response "to the kidnapping of Peru and President Pedro Castillo by economic groups and the coup of the congress." The protests grew from other sectors when the Arequipa Regional Teachers Union joined, which in addition to washing the flag demanded compliance with the educational initiatives of the former president, and merchants from the commercial platform Andrés Avelino Cáceres. On the other hand, the representative of the group of ethnocaceristas did not rule out that there are militants involved in the protests. Artisanal miners took part of the road in the Chala District.
11 December.
During protests in Chincheros, leaked police audio revealed police asking for reinforcements after the Public Ministry and police station were set ablaze, with police stating "We need support in Chincheros! Let a helicopter come to disperse people. There are only 30 of us. We are running out of ammunition, we have injured policemen".
It was announced that the Cusco Departmental Federation of Workers (FDTC), the Túpac Amaru Cusco Agrarian Revolutionary Federation (Fartac), the Cusco University Federation (FUC), the Sutep and the Cusco Regional Youth Assembly (Arejo) that they will unite the mobilizations and that they will attack the indefinite strikes. The peasant organization announced a delegation to Lima.
12 December.
President Boluarte removed 26 regional prefects nominated by Castillo from their positions.
The Gloria dairy facility in Arequipa, one of the largest in Peru, was occupied by protesters who looted the plant and destroyed objects. It was also reported that rioters seized Rodríguez Ballón International Airport, and razed portions of it, resulting in its closure.
13 December.
Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport is closed in Cusco, with LATAM Airlines Group and Sky Airline reporting that flights in the region would continue to be cancelled. The United States Ambassador to Peru, Lisa D. Kenna, travels to the Government Palace to meet with President Boluarte.
14 December.
The Boluarte government announced a national state of emergency, removing some constitutional protections from citizens, including the rights preventing troops from staying within private homes and buildings, the freedom of movement, the freedom of assembly, and "personal freedom and security" for 30 days.
15 December.
The Boluarte government decreed a curfew for fifteen provinces in eight different regions of Peru on 15 December, in regions including Arequipa, La Libertad, Ica, Apurímac, Cusco, Puno, and Huancavelica.
During protests in Ayacucho, demonstrators approached the Coronel FAP Alfredo Mendívil Duarte Airport, with the Peruvian Armed Forces closing the airport in response, with clashes occurring shortly after. Human rights groups reported that members of the Peruvian Army were seen shooting at civilians protesting in Ayacucho. Casualties were sent for treatment at the Huamanga Network and in the Ayacucho Regional Hospital, with 90% of injuries resulting from gunshot wounds according to the Ayacucho regional health system. The response by authorities caused the collapse of hospital systems in the city, with protesters suffering from gunshot wounds being treated in makeshift triageunits. The Ayacucho Regional Health Directorate reported that 8 were killed and 52 were injured.
Former president Castillo is sentenced to 18 months of pretrial detention. While imprisoned, Castillo states that the United States is responsible for the violence in Peru, stating "The visit of the US ambassador to the Government Palace was not free, nor was it in favor of the country. It was to give the order to take the troops to the streets and massacre my defenseless people; and, by the way, leave the way free for mining operations, ... The Peruvian press will not only keep quiet about this, but will deny it so easily."
16 December.
About 10,000 people marched in Chincheros, blocking a bridge between Ayacucho and Chincheros. Congress rejected the proposal of advancing the 2026 elections to an earlier date; 49 were in favor, 33 against and 25 abstained, with 87 required for the proposal to pass. Education Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Perez both resigned over the loss of life caused by the protests.
17 December.
A confrontation occurred on the Ocoña bridge, blocked by 500 protesters, leaving six injured, two of whom were soldiers and four civilians.
General secretary of the Arequipa Departmental Federation of Workers (ADFW), José Luis Chapa, rejected the regional curfews and described Dina Boluarte as a fascist for her actions. He also denied that any members of the ADFW were involved in criminal acts or vandalism.
50 agents of the National Police entered the premises of the New Peru party and the Peasant Confederation of Peru. Slingshots, machetes and ski masks were reportedly found and 26 people were detained. During the night there was a confrontation between protestors and the police on the highway in the Huipoca district (Ucayali) leaving 11 injured (6 police officers and 5 civilians).
18 December.
In Chala, a road was temporarily reopened by protesters after dozens of trucks were prevented from passing on the road for over a week.
19 December.
In Arequipa, vehicular traffic began to improve. Hundreds of tourists visiting Machu Picchu were rescued after exit paths were blocked by protesters.
20 December.
The Congress of Peru provides its first approval for a constitutional change to allow for presidential elections in April 2024, with a final approval required later in 2023. The Boluarte government declared the Mexican Ambassador to Peru persona non grata due to Mexico's support for former president Castillo. Representatives