Peru: declaration of the Permanent Council

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon.

We are grateful for the convening of this meeting and for the effort made by the Delegations of Colombia, Antigua and Barbuda and Peru to move forward the Declaration we have adopted today.

The Dominican Republic wishes to reiterate its concern at the situation in Peru. We call on all sectors of Peruvian society to channel their claims and aspirations through institutional means. We hope that contradictions rooted in political tensions will be overcome through dialogue and agreement. Likewise, we long for confrontations driven by socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, religious or other differences to be avoided everywhere.

We also urge that incitement to violence through the spread of divisive, discriminatory and inflammatory narratives be avoided. We call on the political leadership, the authorities and the media not to condone tendencies of this kind and to avoid any atmosphere of impunity that might exist. The flagrant absence of justice can further fuel tensions and give rise to a growing sense of powerlessness, fear and resentment, not only among the victims and those close to them, but also among the most vulnerable segments of the population.

From the Dominican Republic we are confident that, with maturity and good sense, inclusive, tolerant and respectful dialogue will prevail in the processes to come, so as to avoid a further deterioration of the Peruvian social fabric.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.