Under the slogan “United for the Peru we deserve,” thousands of people, especially young people – took to the streets last weekend to protest a law enacted on September 20 that reforms the pension system. The protest soon began to denounce the executive branch’s administration in general terms.

This is the opinion of Peruvian sociologist Lucía Alvites, who spoke with Peoples Dispatch about the recent demonstrations: “The mobilizations of recent months and the most recent ones have had a common root: the protests against the coup d’état against Pedro Castillo in December 2022, because youth collectives, social movements, and university organizing spaces are the ones that have mobilized in the protests of late 2022 and early 2023.”

The pension reform law

Law 32123 was promoted by the right-wing government of Dina Boluarte, who has served as president since Pedro Castillo was removed from office in a coup. The coup against Castillo sparked massive and prolonged protests in the Andean country that were harshly repressed by the coup government, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Peruvians.

Among other aspects, the law requires young people to join the Pension Fund Administrator (AFP), which operates on private capital. Additionally, the option to withdraw 95.5% of contributors’ funds at age 65 was approved, which poses a risk to the entire pension system, and marks a departure from its original purpose of providing stable, long-term income. This directly affects younger people, especially since the law also stipulates that contributions are optional for self-employed workers.

And while the criticism of Law 32123 is substantial, the truth is that the protests go beyond criticisms to the pension system, and are regarding broader issues they attribute to the Boluarte administration and Congress. One of these is the rising insecurity in the Andean country, which has already led to several demonstrations by transport workers against the government. The rise in organized crime and violence has led to a 35.9% increase in homicides in Peru, according to figures from Insight Crime.

Read More: Boluarte amnesties hundreds of security forces implicated in human rights abuses in Peru

Among other things, the law requires young people to join the Pension Fund Administrator (AFP), i.e., a private capital fund. According to Alvites, young people are the most affected by the law, which explains why the bulk of last weekend’s mobilization had such a marked age composition: “Young people have been the most affected by the pension system reform passed by Congress, which blatantly benefited the Pension Fund Association (AFP), taking away the possibility for those under 40 to access 95.5% of their saved funds when they retire. The [past] protests succeeded in getting that part of the pension system reform repealed.”

And while complaints against the pension law are very much present in the collective imagination, the truth is that protesters are demonstrating against other problems they associate with the Boluarte administration and Congress. One of these is the increase in insecurity in the Andean country, which has already led to several demonstrations by transport workers against the government. The rise in organized crime and violence has led to a 35.9% increase in homicides in Peru, according to figures from Insight Crime.

Read More: Boluarte amnesties hundreds of security forces implicated in human rights abuses in Peru

Repression in Lima

The protesters called for a rally last weekend in Plaza San Martín, one of the city’s most iconic squares in Lima. Police quickly surrounded the square and blocked the passage of those seeking to join the protest. This led to clashes between the police and the protesters, who were trying to advance towards the Government Palace and the legislative building.

In the end, the protesters, who threw stones and other objects at the police, managed to break through the police cordon, but not without a harsh response from the security forces, who fired tear gas and pellets at the protesters. In fact, two journalists from the media outlet Exitosa reported live that they had been shot with pellets by the police.

Little by little, other groups joined the demonstration, which moved to Abancay Avenue. Throughout the demonstrations, 18 people reported injuries from pellet shots, stones, and police baton blows. “Dina murderer” and “Everyone out” were some of the messages carried by protesters during the harsh police repression.

On the night of September 21, several media outlets reported that the police began chasing protesters from a shopping center near the Palace of Justice, causing anxiety among many citizens who were not involved in the protest and had to flee the scene in the face of the police onslaught.

Read More: Will there be justice for protesters killed in Peru’s anti-coup protests?

Alvites affirms that the executive branch has once again demonstrated that it does not hold on to power thanks to popular approval, but rather through the effective use of law enforcement. According to a recent Datum poll, 79% of Peruvians say they disapprove of the executive branch, and 85% say they feel the same way about Congress.

“The government’s response to the protests has been one of violent repression. Some of our comrades have been injured by pellets to the head, back, face, etc., caused by tear gas canisters that have hit protesters, as the police have unleashed extremely aggressive repression. Some of our comrades have also been detained. Unfortunately, this is the result of the impunity enjoyed by the Peruvian National Police and the Armed Forces following human rights violations during the protests in 2022 and 2023, at the beginning of the Boluarte dictatorship. We must not forget that more than 60 Peruvians were extrajudicially killed.”

The future of protests in Peru

The truth is that protests have been on the rise since the beginning of 2025. More citizens are demonstrating in different parts of the country and are gradually beginning to point the finger at the Boluarte government and the National Congress as the culprits, according to several international media outlets.

In this regard, Alvites states: “The protests will continue. New demonstrations have been called for next weekend. It must be said that what mobilized the young people has been revoked. However, the demonstrations continue because they have taken on a character of challenge and protest against what the Boluarte regime represents.“ She added: ”The demonstrations aim to bring an end to this regime and to show dissatisfaction with Congress.”

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