Mere weeks after the end of protests in Nepal, Gen Z is back at it again – this time in Peru.

Protests in Peru erupted almost two weeks ago on Sept. 20.

At least 19 have been injured as of Monday, according to Al Jazeera, with violence on both sides. While protestors have been hurling stones, fireworks, and petrol bombs, law enforcement has responded with rubber bullets and tear gas, which some, including the human rights group CNDDHH, have called an overreaction.

“There was no justification for firing large amounts of tear gas, much less for attacking people,” CNDDHH lawyer Mar Perez said, according to BBC.

The impetus for the protests? A new law mandating all adults – from the age of 18 – to contribute to private pension funds. A law that proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Turmoil in Peru goes all the way back to 2022 when then-president Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve the nation’s Congress in December and assume control of the judiciary. Castillo’s failed coup attempt was brought to a screeching halt as he was removed from office by Congress and replaced by his then-vice president Dina Boluarte, who currently serves as Peru’s president and is set to continue to do so through July 2026.

Shortly after the congressional action, protests erupted across the country calling for early elections over the course of four months, from December to March 2023, killing 50 civilians and injuring over 1300, including police. Meanwhile, the government continued to exploit the situation with Congress removing checks on its own powers, excessively violent backlashes to protests from the military and police, and improperly executed – sometimes stalled – investigations of human rights abuses and protestor deaths.

And then, of course, is the issue of corruption. According to the Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2024, five Peruvian former presidents have faced corruption charges with Boluarte being investigated for the alleged receipt of illegal political campaign contributions and at least 37 of Peru’s 130 members of Congress under criminal investigation, the latter as of March 2023.

While tensions have been building for years, recent activities seemed to have tipped them over the edge.

In addition to the private pension requirement, Boluarte doubled her own salary in July and passed a law in August pardoning hundreds in the armed forces on trial for grave atrocities, including sexual violence and torture, committed during Peru’s conflict against the Maoist rebels from 1980 to 2000, despite condemnation by organizations including the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the United Nations. 

Approval ratings for Boluarte have dropped to the single digits and many Peruvians are calling for her resignation.

“These people [members of Congress] raise their own salaries, they kill us like flies and don’t care about anything,” a young woman said, according to the BBC. “We need a total change, we’re sick of this situation.”

Next week, International Insight will take a look into the protests unfolding across Madagascar and reflect on the growing trend of Gen Z-led protests.