Peru: Death Toll Tops 40 as Security Forces Crack Down on Protests over President Castillo's Ouster

We go to Peru for an update after Peruvian authorities declared an overnight curfew in parts of southern Peru as mass protests continue following the ouster and arrest of leftist former President Pedro Castillo. At least 17 people were killed Monday after security forces opened fire at anti-government protesters in the city of Juliaca, and over 40 people have been killed across Peru over the last month, with human rights groups accusing the authorities of using indiscriminate force against protesters. The country's crisis started in early December when then-President Castillo attempted to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, resulting in his arrest and replacement by his vice president. We are joined from Desaguadero, Peru, near the Bolivian border, by Ollie Vargas, a journalist with Kawsachun News, who says protesters are demanding new elections, the resignation of Castillo's successor Dina Boluarte and the formation of a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. A major contributor to the current crisis is "the extreme weakness of the political system in Peru" in which many politicians lack any real connection to their constituents, adds Peruvian sociologist Eduardo González Cueva.

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