Since Sept. 13, thousands of protesters have been marching in Lima, the capital of Peru, demanding new leadership. They say the conservative administration, which has overseen the murders and extortion of protesters and journalists, is corrupt and does not represent them.

Protests have been ongoing in Peru since 2022, when the conservative government of President Dina Boluarte took power after Congress impeached and removed former President Pedro Castillo, a progressive leftist leader who had a background in organizing. More than 50 protesters were killed under the Boluarte regime.

However, the protests picked up in recent months when the Boluarte administration implemented a pension reform law that mandates contributions by everyone 18 and over — favoring the nation’s private pension fund over its public fund — and limits early withdrawals at a time when employment for many Peruvians is unstable.

Through decentralized campaigns coordinated over social media like WhatsApp, TikTok, Discord and Telegram, young people have organized mass demonstrations in Lima that spread around the country. They were quickly joined by bus and taxi drivers, whose unions have been mobilizing short strikes for over a year to protest extortion.