Peru declared a nationwide state of emergency Wednesday over violent protests against the ouster and arrest of ex-president Pedro Castillo that have left seven people dead.
Castillo's supporters have taken to the streets and set up roadblocks countrywide in protests that have also left 200 injured as they demand his release and the holding of early elections.
The country plunged into crisis last week when Castillo tried to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, but was quickly impeached by lawmakers and arrested on his way to seek refuge in the Mexican embassy.
The new President Dina Boluarte has struggled to quell tensions, and has now called for the next election -- normally due in 2026 -- to be brought forward to December 2023, after an earlier bid to hold them in 2024 failed to halt the protests.
Defense Minister Alberto Otarola announced the new 30-day state of emergency due to "acts of vandalism and violence," and roadblocks, and said police and the armed forces "would have control of the whole territory."
He said the measure involved "the suspension of the freedom of movement and assembly" and could also include a night-time curfew.
Last week, a judge ordered Castillo to be held in jail for seven days, and he was meant to be released on Wednesday.
However, prosecutors filed a request late on Tuesday to hold him in pre-trial detention for 18 months.
Judge Juan Checkley on Wednesday postponed a hearing on the new request until Thursday after defense attorneys argued they had not received all documents from the public prosecutor.
However, he also ordered Castillo to remain in detention for another 48 hours.
"Enough! The outrage, humiliation and mistreatment continue," wrote Castillo on Twitter, adding that he would petition the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to "intercede."
Castillo, a leftist former school teacher, was in power for only 17 months in the South American nation that is prone to political instability and is now on its sixth president in six years.
His short period in office was marked by a power struggle with the opposition-dominated Congress, and six investigations into him and his family mainly for corruption.
On Tuesday, Castillo called his arrest unjust and arbitrary and said he would "never give up and abandon this popular cause that brought me here."
He also called on security forces "to lay down their arms and stop killing these people thirsty for justice."
Meanwhile, hundreds of foreign tourists were stranded Wednesday in Peru's renowned Machu Picchu region after train service was suspended due to violent protests following the ouster and arrest of ex-president Pedro Castillo.
A state of emergency was declared earlier Wednesday as Castillo's supporters have taken to the streets and set up roadblocks countrywide in protests against new President Dina Boluarte that have left seven people dead and 200 injured.
Officials said nearly 800 tourists of varying nationalities had become stranded since Tuesday.
They were stuck in the town at the base of the mountain where Machu Picchu, the most important attraction in Peruvian tourism and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is located.
Israeli tourist Gale Dut was unable to return to Cusco to catch a flight out of the country.
"I'm with my kids. For me, it's a problem," Dut told AFP.
One Belgian tourist, who identified himself as Walter, said it is "not clear" how he will be able to return home if he is not able to get back to Cusco in order to catch a flight to Lima.
The train service that connects the famed Incan temple with Cusco, the ancient empire's capital city, is the only way to get to Machu Picchu, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) away.
Trains were suspended Tuesday as Indigenous and agrarian organizations called for an indefinite strike as part of the protests that began Monday in Cusco, with marches, attacks on public spaces and attempts to take over the city's international airport.
The small town's mayor Darwin Baca called for humanitarian help from the government, seeking helicopters to help evacuate tourists from the United States, Mexico and Spain.
The country plunged into crisis last week when Castillo tried to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, but was quickly impeached by lawmakers and arrested.
The new president, Boluarte, has struggled to quell tensions, and has now called for the next election -- normally due in 2026 -- to be brought forward to December 2023, after an earlier bid to hold them in 2024 failed to halt the protests.
