Peruvian President Dina Bolluarte is expected to be questioned by prosecutors on Tuesday as part of an investigation into her responsibility for the death during protests against her government, a lawyer for the Latin American head of state said Sunday.

Ms Boluarte “wants to help find out what the truth is,” her lawyer, Kelly Montenegro, told El Comercio newspaper. “We will fulfill all (requirements) of the prosecution,” he assured.

Prosecutors announced Jan. 10 that they had opened an investigation into Ms Boluarte for “genocide”, serial “aggravated murders” and “grievous bodily harm”, citing her role in the bloody crackdown on anti-government protests since December. 2022 to January 2023.

Ministers and former ministers of her government are also being investigated.

Peru is still mired in a major political and social crisis that erupted on December 7, when it was removed from office, arrested and imprisoned by former leftist President Pedro Castillo, who was replaced by his then Vice President Dina Bolluarte.

Mr. Castillo, 53, is accused of attempting a coup d’état when he tried to dissolve a parliament that was preparing to remove him from office. He is in a pre-trial detention center in Lima after 18 months of pre-trial detention.

His fall after seventeen months in power sparked protests and violence that left at least 48 people dead and more than 600 injured. Ten civilians and six soldiers were injured on Saturday in fresh protests in the Puno area.

The protesters demand the resignation of Ms. Bolluarte, the dissolution of the Congress and the holding of early parliamentary and presidential elections in 2023.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.