PERUVIAN police launched a brutal crackdown today on a peaceful protest against the election of the new board of directors of the country’s congress.

One of the lawmakers elected to the board is under investigation for corruption and for more than 50 tax fraud allegations.

Protesters were holding a sit-in outside the Parliament building in Lima when the police arrived and assaulted them.

Delegations of social organisations from across the interior of the country also took part in the protest to demand justice over the killing of more than 50 people by security forces under the orders of the assembly appointed President Dina Boluarte.

Ms Boluarte took over as president when Pedro Castillo was ousted and imprisoned in a coup by the assembly in December last year.

Mr Castillo, who was elected in 2021, is still being held in custody by Peruvian authorities.

The Alliance for Progress lawmaker Alejandro Soto was elected as congress president for the 2023-2024 period after being nominated by the assembly’s right-wing.

Mr Soto is under investigation for being part of an alleged criminal organisation.

Other legislators elected to the congress director board are Hernando Guerra-Garcia of the Popular Force Party, Waldemar Cerron of Free Peru and Rosselli Amuruz, a member of the Advance Country Party.