At least 55 people have been killed and more than 500 police wounded in clashes across the country since the unrest began, according to the National Ombudsman and the Interior Ministry. The Peruvian police refer to compliance with international standards. However, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), gunshot wounds to the head and upper body of victims were found during the protests.
Some Peruvian lawmakers have since filed a motion to impeach President Boluarte, citing “permanent moral incompetence”, says a document seen by Portal. The motion, signed by more than 20 left-wing lawmakers who support Castillo, must pass 52 votes before it can be debated in Congress.
Portal/Angela Ponce Boluarte becomes the first woman to lead the Republic of Peru
Parliament rejects new elections this year
In the face of ongoing protests, Boluarte asked parliament to hold early elections later this year. Parliament, however, rejected his request with a majority of deputies. Speaker of Parliament Jose Williams received another request shortly after the vote to “review” the vote again. However, it would be difficult to revise the result.
Castillo as a dashed hope
Castillo’s own presidency was extremely chaotic. The former village school teacher wanted to avoid a no-confidence vote in December and dissolved the congress, which parliament then removed from office. He was arrested on attempted coup charges and is now in custody.
The pace of current events is not unusual in Peru, where another president has been ousted and two more have resigned since 2018. However, the level of violence that followed Castillo’s impeachment marks a new and tragic escalation of a years-long crisis of according to the American magazine Foreign Affairs.
After decades of discrimination, the poorest people in rural areas, in particular, saw Castillo as an opportunity for change – after all, among other things, he had announced a new constitution and made far-reaching promises to the indigenous population. But shortly after taking office, Castillo backed out of his promises. While some of his supporters have expressed disappointment, many still blame Castillo’s failure in the hated parliament on corruption.
IMAGO/Agência EFE/Alberto Valdes During his tenure, the former professor changed ministers on average every six days
Corruption as a national problem
The US magazine Foreign Policy writes that Peruvian corruption is also at the root of the great dissatisfaction that is currently leading to brutal clashes between police and demonstrators. In almost all public institutions in Peru there is “rampant corruption”. The motto “Roba pero hace obra” illustrates the tiredness of the population, according to Foreign Policy.
Therefore, it is completely normal to appease the traffic police with a lemonade or pay the Ministry of Migration employees money so that your passport is issued faster. Of course, the same applies to larger dimensions: for example, Brazilian construction company Odebrecht reportedly paid then-president Alejandro Toledo $20 million for a contract to build sections of the Interoceanic Highway in the early 2000s.
Higher death rate during the pandemic
According to a 2022 study by anti-corruption organization Transparency International, nearly two-thirds of Peruvians feel that their family finances have been directly harmed by bribery. The country’s overall economic development is also being held back by corrupt processes and the implementation of public policies is being sabotaged. The construction sites are many, from inadequate education and food insecurity to the health crisis, which reached its sad climax during the CoV pandemic with the highest death rate in the world.
AP/Rodrigo Abd The pandemic brought Peru the highest per capita mortality rate in the world
Although Peru’s economy has largely recovered from the consequences of the pandemic, many people have the feeling that recovery, at least financial, is not coming: according to the World Bank, poverty reduction in Peru is progressing slowly and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Almost a third of citizens live in poverty, especially in rural areas, many live without clean water, electricity and access to health care.
“The whole system manipulated in favor of the powerful”
“Obviously, when you have a head of city services who is appointed because he is the mayor’s cousin or has paid money to the mayor under the table, and not because he is qualified for the job, obviously that becomes an inefficient and inadequate public service. ”. said Samuel Rotta, executive director of Transparency International.
Peru’s parliament is considered corrupt by 60% of Peruvians. It was also Parliament that first ignored the abuses and scandals of the Castillo government and then launched an attack on the legitimacy of Castillo’s surprise electoral victory by rejecting 200,000 votes from mostly indigenous voters who supported Castillo, according to the Foreign Policy.
“This constant barrage of scandals shapes people’s perceptions that the entire system is rigged against them and in favor of those in power,” Noam Lupu, a political scientist at Vanderbilt University and director of the AmericasBarometer, told US magazine. “This creates a sense of impunity that permeates the state, from local bureaucrats like the traffic police taking bribes to high-level corruption.”
Portal/Pilar Olivares Revolt over living conditions and inequality in the country continues to fuel protests
“Chronic deficiencies” in the state’s infrastructure
Peru is one of the youngest democracies in North, Central and South America – free and fair elections were only reintroduced in 2001. However, the last two decades since the reintroduction of democracy have not brought better living conditions, the broadcaster reported. CNN. Although the economy has prospered, the state has failed to remedy “chronic deficiencies” in the areas of security, justice and education.
Meanwhile, political measures have already been tried to curb corruption – but without success. For example, during his 2018-2020 term, former President Martin Vizcarra forced legislators to adopt reforms such as introducing party primaries, reducing parliamentary immunity and banning those with a criminal record from running for public office. Eventually, he himself was accused of bribery.
Democracy corroded by corruption
There’s no denying that the unrest in Peru is rooted in “rooted discrimination and inequality,” according to the Foreign Policy. Today, however, it is becoming evident how a democracy “is eroded by corruption while it is still alive”. Even if the protesters’ demands were implemented and new elections were held, they would likely not lead to any long-term improvement without the prospect of a comprehensive anti-corruption package.
January 2023 marks the temporary low point of the Peruvian crisis, writes “Relações Exteriores”. Without a quick response from the Boluarte government – such as taking responsibility for the violent riots at the protests – this, in hindsight, could be a missed opportunity to save Peru’s democracy and stability from further disintegration.