'Dina is a murderer': Protester assaults Peruvian president in Ayacucho

A protester has violently grabbed Peruvian President Dina Boluarte during an event in the southern Ayacucho region, where 10 people were killed in mass anti-government demonstrations more than a year ago.

TV footage of the assault on Saturday showed Boluarte in traditional clothing surrounded by a crowd of people as she throws out candy when a shouting woman approaches and grabs the president.

A chaotic scene ensues as police intervene to separate the woman, with Boluarte seemingly uninjured and rejoining the event.

The woman who grabbed the president identified herself to reporters as Ruth Barcena and said her late husband, Leonardo Hancco, had been fatally shot during protests in December 2022.

"My husband was murdered here. They killed my husband, and they want me to calm down?" Barcena shouted in the crowd.

Interior Minister Victor Torres said after Saturday's event that "drastic" disciplinary measures would be taken against members in charge of the president's security and that bodyguards would be dismissed.

Prime Minister Alberto Otarola condemned the attack, saying: "This unfortunate event endangered the safety of the head of state and is extremely serious."

"With violence, we all lose as a country," he said on X, formerly Twitter.

Rise to power

Dina Boluarte, 61, came to power in 2022 after former leftist president Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, leading to his quick ouster and arrest.

Violent protests demanding Boluarte step down and fresh elections be held followed across the country.

The ensuing crackdown by security forces left almost 50 people dead, according to an estimate by Human Rights Watch, which accused the authorities of extrajudicial and arbitrary killings.

Multiple legal proceedings accusing Boluarte of responsibility for the deaths were launched after the crackdown.

Boluarte is Peru's sixth president since March 2018 and the first woman to hold the role.