President of Kazakhstan: "The riots are an attempted coup"

The President of Kazakhstan, Kasim- Yomart Tokaev, said on Monday that the riots in his country, which left fatalities, were an "attempted coup" and promised that Russian troops and those who support them will soon leave the country.

Life is slowly returning to normal in Almaty, the largest city and with the largest financial capital in the Central Asian country, where the riots were generated most strongly.

The internet has been restored, although still with limitations, according to the authorities. While the houses burned, the facades destroyed and the vehicles in ashes, speak for themselves of the terror that was lived in the streets of the city.

The Kazakh President, Kassym Khomart Tokayev, through a videoconference, evaluated the consequences of the events together with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who together with allies sent 2,030 soldiers.

Both the Ukrainian president and the Russian leader guaranteed the withdrawal of troops once the objectives had been met.

Tokayev said that the amount of losses of citizens is "under confirmation" spoke of 16 dead and more than 1,600 wounded among the state security forces. However, the local media affirm that the fatalities are counted by dozens.

The president said that his nation had been attacked by "terrorists" who, under the excuse of protests over increased fuel, took the opportunity to deploy troops and act.

Tokayev assured that the main objective was clearly known, which was: the destruction of government institutions, end the constitutional order and the seizure of power. He assured that that is why they defined it as an attempted coup.

Started out of the blue, the riots prompted the Kazakh president to ask Russia for help.

The Secretary of State, of the United States, Antony Blinken, had expressed on the contrary that it would be "a real problem" to withdraw the Russian military.

Alleged terrorists

After a time of looting, shootings and riots that left the presidential residence in ashes as a result, Tokayev declared on Monday that constitutional order had been restored.

According to his statements, the nation was under attack by coordinated "terrorists", which included "Islamists". The use of military power against peaceful protesters had never been used, this was stressed by Tokayev.

On Tuesday, the Kazakh president is due to present the creation of the new government to parliament, as the previous one resigned last week trying to quell the protests.

Vladimir Putin further said that Kazakhstan had faced an "aggression from international terrorism", alluding to organized armed gangs that evidently had combat expertise.

The president insisted that, in this protest, citizens linked to terrorist attacks are involved. He also blamed social networks and the internet, since they are the main precursors of this misfortune.

On Monday there was a day of mourning in Kazakhstan and in Almaty the internet, telephone communications and transportation were restored. According to local media, municipal workers were cleaning the streets and replacing signs and notices that were destroyed in the riots.

So far there are more than 8,000 detainees, according to official figures from the Ministry of the Interior.

The protests that arose in Kazakhstan were not only due to the rise in prices, the attack was also directed at the political leadership and specifically at Nazarbáyeb, a former president who ruled from 1989 to 2019 without any opposition.