The Diplomat
The Peruvian government confirmed on Friday that Spain has suspended exports of anti-riot material to the Andean country, which has been experiencing a wave of protests since December in which 70 people have lost their lives.
“The Interior Minister, Vicente Romero, told a press conference in which he said that they would be “knocking on other doors” to buy the equipment.
Amnesty International (AI) had on several occasions called on the Spanish government to immediately suspend exports of arms and riot control equipment to Peru “as a precautionary measure”.
In this respect, Romero assured that Peru is a “state of law” and the “country lives in democracy”.
Regarding the suspension of exports from Spain, President Boluarte said that, “in order to develop” the people of Peru, the government would not need “more ammunition or tear gas bombs”, but “more works to be able to generate well-being”.
On Tuesday, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed that exports of military and police equipment to Peru have been suspended due to the protests.
“As soon as this situation of rupture, let’s say, of civil conflict, began, we stopped all exports of military and police equipment to Peru, as we always do,” he said in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress of Deputies.
“We support rights in all countries, we make no distinction in human rights” between one country and another, Albares assured.
