WEB DESK
Peru’s capital Lima witnessed on Friday one of the city’s most historic buildings burnt to the ground after a night of fresh anti-government protests across the country, as the President vowed to get tougher on vandals. The incident came after thousands of protesters descended on Lima earlier this week, calling for sweeping change and angered by the mounting death toll from the protests.
Meanwhile, in Arequipa, fresh clashes broke out between demonstrators and police, while operations at the region’s main airport were suspended. The city of Cusco’s airport and another in the southern city of Juliaca were also attacked. The government this week extended a state of emergency to six regions, curtailing some civil rights but President Dina Boluarte has dismissed calls to resign and for snap elections, instead calling for dialogue and promising to punish those involved in the unrest.