Peru president refuses to quit as demonstrators seethe

CUSCO, Peru: Peru´s embattled President Dina Boluarte said on Saturday she would not step down in the face of violent protests over her predecessor´s ouster as she called on lawmakers to bring forward elections as a way to quell unrest.

The country´s Congress rejected a bid on Friday to hold polls next December, more than two years earlier than scheduled, as deadly protests left thousands of tourists stranded near Machu Picchu and furious demonstrators -- and some lawmakers -- called for Boluarte´s departure.

But in an address aimed at tamping down the unrest rocking the South American nation, the new president stood defiant.

“What is solved by my resignation? We will be here, firmly, until Congress determines to bring forward the elections,” Boluarte told Peruvians.

On Friday, House speaker Jose Williams said the vote on the election schedule could be revisited during a forthcoming session of Congress.

Peru was plunged into political crisis on December 7 when then-president Pedro Castillo was impeached and arrested after he attempted to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.

The unrest has swelled across several cities and regions, leaving at least 18 people dead, including minors.