Police Intervene as Student Clashes Injure Three at Peru's UNA Puno Amidst Electoral Tensions

Tensions flared dramatically at the National University of the Altiplano (UNA) in Puno, Peru, culminating in violent confrontations between student factions and necessitating police intervention within the campus grounds. The clashes, which left at least three students injured, occurred amidst ongoing protests and a takeover of the university facilities. The immediate trigger appears to be a dispute between students from different engineering disciplines – Civil, Topography, and Surveying – exacerbated by the participation of Administration students who oppose the rectorate's push for new professional schools. This internal strife is unfolding against the backdrop of an impending election for a new rector on May 28th. Students are vocally contesting the rectorate's decision to discuss the establishment of new programs like Finance and Foreign Trade, and Geospatial and Road Systems, fearing impacts on their own fields and the university's resources. The Defender of the People in Puno has urged for de-escalation, pointing to the university authorities' 'highly political' decisions during a sensitive electoral period. Despite police efforts to restore order, the academic paralysis and confrontational atmosphere persist just days before the crucial elections, casting a shadow over the university's future.

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The conflict escalated around 12:30 p.m. when Topography students tried to enter the campus to lift the protest measure.