The Ministry of Health reported that 77 people were also hospitalized​​

Lima, December 18 (RHC)-- The death toll from the repression by Peruvian police and military forces against popular demonstrations demanding general elections and a new Constitution, has increased to 24, an official source reported Sunday morning.

In its most recent balance, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) indicated on its official Twitter account that during the nationwide public demonstrations a total of 77 people have also been hospitalized.  Breaking down the figures, the Minsa noted that six people have lost their lives in Apurímac, one in Arequipa, three in La Libertad, two in Cusco, three in Junín and nine in Ayacucho.

Peru has been experiencing a period of social protests since December 7th, when the Congress appointed Dina Boluarte as president of the country, after dismissing the head of state Pedro Castillo, who is in preventive prison accused of the alleged crime of rebellion.

Boluarte, who declared a state of national emergency for 30 days, affirmed this Saturday that she will remain in office and caleld on the Congress to bring forward the general elections to 2023.

Around midnight on Saturday, the police released 26 peasants who were arbitrarily detained for about 14 hours in the facilities of the Confederación Campesina del Perú (CCP), in Lima, the capital of the country, which had been raided earlier in the day.