'That's how life is': Peru President condemned for blasé response to horrific murder

  • 07/06/2018
Martin Vizcarra.
Martin Vizcarra. Photo credit: Getty

Peruvians been left outraged after the President made seemingly indifferent comments about the appalling murder of a woman.

Eyvi Agreda died on June 1 as a result of infections to burns inflicted on her in an attack in April, The Guardian reports. The gruesome homicide had seen her lit on fire a bus by her stalker, Carlos Hualpa.

He had allegedly expressed that if he couldn't have her, nobody would. She was left with second and third degree burns covering 60 percent of her body.

According to Ms Agreda's family, Hualpa had been bothering her for two years and the police had done nothing despite multiple complaints.

On Friday, Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra offered his sympathies to the family and called for a life sentence for Hualpa.

But his later comments incensed women's rights and victims' advocates when he appeared to say situations like the one Ms Agreda found herself in were just part of life.

"Sometimes that's how life is, and we have to accept it," he said.

Mr Vizcarra's political opponent Veronika Mendoza him for his comments, demanding he look into new policies to end gender violence.

"Eyvi was killed by Carlos Hualpa but also machismo in the state and in society," she wrote on Twitter.

"Promote policies with a gender focus to prevent and eradicate violence, don't let them keep killing us; it's in your hands."

Newshub.