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Sri Lanka’s president flees from the public eye

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Thousands of Sri Lankan protesters converge on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s home and nearby office.

It is the largest demonstration yet to express their rage at a leader they blame for the economic crisis.

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A government spokesman said he didn’t know where the president was.

He suggested that the parliamentary speaker take over as interim president and work to form an interim government.

In scuffles as protesters attempted to enter Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa’s residence, at least 34 people were injured, including two police officers.

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For the past three months, protesters have camped out in front of his seaside office.

They are calling for his resignation, claiming that he has lost the support of the people.

Protest leaders demanded the resignation of all government officials, not just the president and the government, in their proclamation.

Due to a foreign currency shortage, Sri Lanka has announced that it will suspend repayment of foreign loans.

Its total foreign debt is $51 billion, of which $28 billion must be repaid by the end of 2027. On Friday night, police imposed a curfew in Colombo and several other major cities, but it was lifted early Saturday morning.

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