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LIMA - Peru's president on Monday fired the police chief days after being violently grabbed by protesters at a public event.

President Dina Boluarte signed a decree replacing Jorge Angulo for "serious negligence."

On Saturday, two women grabbed and manhandled Boluarte in the southern Ayacucho region before police managed to tear her away.

One of the women said she held Boluarte responsible for the death of her husband, one of 10 people who died during the December 2022 protests in Ayacucho.

Boluarte, 61, came to power that month after then-leftist president Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, leading to his quick ouster and arrest.

Violent protests followed in several cities to demand Boluarte step down and for fresh elections to be held.

The ensuing crackdown by security forces left almost 50 people dead, according to an estimate by Human Rights Watch, which accused the authorities of extrajudicial and arbitrary killings.

Multiple legal proceedings were launched after the crackdown to investigate if Boluarte bears any responsibility for the deaths.

Boluarte is Peru's sixth president since March 2018 and the first woman to hold the post.