They were part of a patrol ambushed by protesters in the Puno region. Fleeing down the river turned out to be a death trap.
The Peruvian Ministry of Defense (Mindef) raised to two soldiers dead and another four missing when they tried to cross a river in the southern Andean region of Puno, the epicenter of the anti-government demonstrations that take place in the Andean country.
An official statement regretted this Monday “deeply” the death of the Peruvian Army corporals Franz Canazas Cahuaya and Alex Quispe Serrano as well as the disappearance of the other four soldiers in the key riverand expressed “his absolute solidarity with his relatives.”
He added that the search work “will be carried out uninterruptedly and will not end until they are found.” all the missing soldiers” and that “an exhaustive investigation has been opened to clarify the factsand determine, if applicable, the responsibilities to which there would be a place”.
The Ministry of Defense also strongly condemned the hostile attitude exercised against the Army patrol of which the aforementioned soldiers were a part by violent activists who prevented their passage.
He assured that this forced the military “to take an alternate route that crossed the river in order to avoid a confrontation with said radical elements.”
This Sunday, the Joint Command of the Armed Forces indicated that the soldiers were swept away by the waters of the Ilave River when they were fleeing from a group of anti-government protesters.
swept away by the current
The military they were part of a patrol who was moving from the town of Ilave to Juli, where protesters burned a police station on Saturday, when they were intercepted by a group of people that prevented them from passing, according to the Joint Command.
Given this situation, a statement indicated, they decided to cross the Ilave River to avoid confrontation, but “due to the difficulties, the flow of the river and to attack with stones and other blunt objects” six members of the patrol they were swept away by the current.
Among the missing there are two other corporals and two soldiers, while another five soldiers were admitted to the Ilave hospital for hypothermia, in stable conditions.
On Saturday, some 300 people attacked the Juli city police station with rocks and blunt objects for several hours, eventually setting it on fire, according to a joint statement from the Defense and Interior ministries.
As a result of the attack, 10 police officers were injured, who were evacuated by helicopter, and also seven civilians who were treated at the Rafael Ortiz Ravines hospital.
In parallel, the statement added, another group attacked the Juli military base, temporarily established in a hotel, causing bruises and cuts to ten Army personnel.
In the Puno region roadblocks and stoppages of activities have been maintained since January past when its residents took to the streets to demand, among other issues, the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and 18 civilians died in clashes with security forces in the city of Juliaca.
Last Thursday a delegation of residents of Puno arrived in Lima to join the anti-government protests that also demand early general elections, the closure of Congress and the calling of a constituent assembly.
The Boluarte government has declared the state of emergency in Punowhere the control of the internal order is in charge of the Armed Forces, with the support of the National Police of Peru.
EFE
ap