[Source: Reuters]

Peruvians in the southern region of Puno carried coffins through the streets on Wednesday of the 17 civilians who died in protests in the area earlier this week, the worst outbreak of violence the Andean country has seen in over 20 years.

The country has been roiled by protests since the abrupt ouster of leftist President Pedro Castillo in early December, with a total of 40 people killed, almost half of them in the city of Juliaca on Monday, including one police officer.+

Hundreds of people in the city paid tribute to the dead by carrying coffins through the streets before their burial along with photos of the faces of the victims, flowers, Peruvian flags, and banners blaming the new government for the violence.