As Demonstrations Continue, Peru’s President Declares, “I Will Not Resign.”

In response to demands for her resignation and requests for the arrest of a trade union leader allegedly connected to Maoist insurgents, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte maintained on Friday that she would not quit.

Since December, supporters of deposed president Pedro Castillo have protested and blocked roads around the South American nation, calling for fresh elections and the ouster of Boluarte, his replacement and former vice president.

In a speech Friday night that was shown on state television, Boluarte stated, “Some voices that have emerged from the violent and extreme sections are clamoring for my resignation, pushing the public into unrest, disorder, and devastation.”

“I won’t step down. My dedication is to Peru.

At least 42 people have died in skirmishes with security forces, including a police officer who was burnt alive in a car, and hundreds more have been wounded, Boluarte mourned, adding that the rallies have sometimes turned violent.

She remarked, “I can’t stop expressing my sorrow for the murders of Peruvians in these demonstrations. “I’m sorry for this circumstance.”

She disregarded the prospect of convening a constitutional assembly, as sought by protesters, citing Chile’s neighbor Peru’s difficulties in formulating and passing a new constitution.

Boluarte remarked, “That cannot happen over night.

Rocio Leandro, a union official from the south-central Ayacucho area with alleged ties to Maoist insurgents, was taken into custody earlier on Friday, according to authorities in Peru. He is suspected of funding rallies and recruiting protestors.