World Tour: Protests in Peru

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: WORLD Tour with our reporter in Africa, Onize Ohikere.

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Equatorial Guinea vote — We take off today in Central Africa.

AUDIO: [Vote counting process]

The president of Equatorial Guinea is on track to win a sixth term in office. That’s after voters lined up at the polls in elections on Sunday.

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema is running against two other candidates, but is widely expected to win.

The 80-year-old has served for more than 43 years — That makes him the longest-serving head of state today, excluding monarchs. He has never received less than 90 percent of the vote in previous elections.

Peru protest — Next, to protests in Peru.

AUDIO: [Chanting protesters]

Hundreds of demonstrators chanting and waving flags marched through the streets of the capital on Sunday. Police fired tear gas at protesters who tried to remove barriers blocking off the Government Palace.

They are protesting the government of President Pedro Castillo.

Castillo is a former teacher who emerged as the country’s leader last year, promising to improve education, health care and other services.

But his first year has been riddled with problems—from surviving two attempted impeachments to his changing Cabinet members. He is also facing corruption investigations.

The protests came ahead of a government-requested visit this week by a high mission from the Organization of American States. The regional group is tasked with analyzing Peru’s political crisis.

Lourdes Flores is the former leader of Peru’s Christian Popular Party. She attended the protests on Sunday.

FLORES: [Speaking Spanish]

She says here she hopes the mission listens to the people’s complaints and demands for change.

Turkey airstrikes — Next, to Turkey.

AUDIO: [Fighter jets taking off]

Turkey and suspected Kurdish militants traded rocket fire after a deadly bombing earlier this month in Istanbul.

The militants fired four rockets on Monday that hit a school, two houses, and a border gate in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, which borders Syria. At least three people died and 10 others sustained injuries.

Turkey launched airstrikes on Kurdish targets in northern Syria and Iraq over the weekend.

Turkey has claimed its right to self-defense under the United Nations Charter. It blamed the militants for an explosion in a bustling avenue of Istanbul that killed six people and injured more than 80 others.

The militants have denied any involvement.

Kherson reopens — We wrap up in the recently liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson.

Shoppers formed long queues that extended outside a supermarket.

AUDIO: [Shoppers paying]

Some buyers purchased bread, bananas, and diapers as others waited their turn to pay. The supermarket reopened fully stocked this weekend for the first time in months.

Ukrainian forces recaptured the city from Russian troops this month.

AUDIO: [Incoming train]

In more signs of some normalcy, Ukrainians welcomed a decorated train from the capital of Kyiv into Kherson over the weekend.

Thousands of people also gathered in Kherson’s main square last week to receive humanitarian aid.

AUDIO: [Speaking Ukrainian]

This resident who queued inside the supermarket said he’d rather leave the aid for those who can’t afford to buy what they need.

That’s it for this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

One more word, if I may.

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