Protester fatalities show Peru's extensive historical divides as "they claim we're not Peruvian"

(cnn) ⸻ Peru has been shaken by months of social unrest and political instability that have seen at least 66 people killed. The majority of deaths have been among demonstrators in southern Peru, where indigenous Aymara and Quechua people maintain their own languages and cultural traditions. The government's response to the ongoing protests has only exacerbated the pain among those from rural areas, with Education Minister Oscar Becerra criticizing Aymara women for taking their children to a protest in Lima. Becerra suggested that the women may have "rented" the children to use for "political gain." In a letter published Tuesday, the country's Ombudsman said that Becerra's comments serve to "increase confrontation among Peruvians." Peruvians have grown increasingly frustrated with a lack of development even during periods of strong economic growth. The southern Puno region is particularly isolated and underdeveloped, with poor healthcare, education and transportation infrastructure. Julia Paccsi, a 42-year-old mother of three, was injured by a bullet to the neck fired by security forces as she went to help injured protesters outside her house in Juliaca, the largest city in the Puno region, on January 7. Paccsi didn't immediately go to hospital out of fear of being taken for a protester and arrested, but when she did finally go a few days later she was told there were no doctors in the city who could treat her. She had no option but to travel to Lima for surgery and is still waiting for a second procedure. Her father believes that his daughter could have survived if there were better medical services in the region.Access to healthcare in rural Peru has long been a sore point, with the country suffering the worst death toll per capita from Covid-19 in the world. The December ouster of President Pedro Castillo, who was accused of corruption and then impeached by lawmakers after an attempted self-coup and later arrested, extinguished hopes in Puno that things might finally change for the better under a president who had positioned himself as a champion for Peru's most marginalized. Demetrio Aroquipa lost his daughter, a psychology student, when a bullet hit her. Amnesty International released a report attributing the violence of the Peruvian state's response to "systemic racism" ingrained in Peruvian society and its authorities for decades. The protesters' demands include the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, who angered many in Puno in January when she blamed unsuccessful talks with representatives from the region for the failure of attempts to stop the protests. Boluarte was forced to apologize a day later, and a statement from her office said her words had been misinterpreted, but for many it was too late. Protesters from the region say they aren't from Peru, but Puno is Peru.