Z Generation protest scene in Paraguay on the 28th (local time). EPA=Yonhap News.

Anti-government protests led by Generation Z (born in the mid-1990s to early 2000s), fueled by resentment toward entrenched corruption and socioeconomic inequality, have spread from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and parts of Africa to South America.

According to the Paraguayan police’s X (formerly Twitter) account and press releases from the Peruvian Ministry of the Interior on the 29th (local time), young people, primarily university students, marched through the streets of Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, on the previous day to voice their outrage over poor public services and a lack of job opportunities.

Under the slogan "We are the 99.9%," claiming to represent the will of the majority of the people, the protesters criticized political corruption and demanded transparency in the national budget and improvements in public safety.

Paraguayan media outlets, including ABC Color, reported that protesters noted they had "spontaneously gathered here after sharing their thoughts through social media," and observed that no flags or banners representing political parties were visible at the scene.

Local media also reported that some young people carried the pirate flag from the Japanese animation "One Piece," which has recently been used as a "symbol of resistance against oppression" in youth-led anti-government protests in other countries.

Physical clashes also broke out between police and protesters.

Paraguayan police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd, and some participants reportedly retaliated by throwing stones.

Paraguayan authorities stated, "Eight police officers were injured, and 31 people were arrested for obstructing justice." However, the number of protesters injured during the police crackdown was not disclosed.

The 'One Piece' pirate flag at a protest in Peru on the 27th (local time). Reuters=Yonhap News.

In Peru, Gen Z protests condemning the government and Congress also took place, centered in the capital, Lima, on the 27th, in response to mandatory pension contributions and employment instability.

Young people threw Molotov cocktails and firecrackers at police, while officers responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

The local daily El Comercio reported that at least 19 people, including police officers and field reporters, were injured in the process.

While protests in Peru have recently been dominated by partisan bickering or opposition from specific indigenous communities, this collective and public display of social discontent led by the younger generation is considered a rare occurrence.

Analysts suggest that, similar to the case in Paraguay, the Peruvian protests share the commonality of young people taking to the streets after exchanging opinions on social media with the sentiment of "not standing by idly while corruption and deprivation persist."

This pattern is largely similar to the recent spread of Gen Z protests seen in Nepal, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, and Madagascar.

Some observers view this as a shift in social trends comparable to the "Arab Spring" of the past; however, others caution that the Gen Z protests may struggle to maintain momentum due to the risk of being co-opted by institutional political parties or a lack of clear leadership and direction.

Yonhap News