The Congress of Peru, in session this Thursday Congress of Peru (EFE / Congress of Peru)
A Peruvian congressman admitted at the end of Thursday evening’s plenary session that after such a long session he no longer remembered what day it was. He looked tired. However, the day was the least important because the result was the same as always. Congress again rejected another project to advance the elections. Divided into two camps, politicians launch projects knowing that they have no chance of progressing. This Wednesday, 54 congressmen voted in favor of a proposal by Fujimori supporters, this Thursday there were 47 who backed another Peru Libre project, the ninth to reach the plenary session. They’re not even close to an agreement. The majority is 87 votes.
The country is still in the midst of a social and political upheaval from which there seems to be no way out. The protests have continued nearly two months after Pedro Castillo’s failed coup d’état and the death toll from police repression now stands at 58. There is a feeling in the streets that the situation is unsustainable. Nobody thinks of the elections as a solution at this point, but rather as the lesser evil. At least that they “all go” and other representatives are re-elected. The decision on this election push rests in the hands of Congress, which according to the latest polls is the country’s worst-rated institution with 7% approval.
There is not one of the 130 men and women in Congress who dares to say at this point of tension that he wants to stay until 2026, the date when his term ends, but that is the message getting out to the public, who don’t understand, how not to reach an agreement. The only time enough votes were collected was on December 20, when it was agreed to hold the April 2024 elections. This gave the President, Dina Boluarte, and Congressmen an additional 20 months in office. 26 people have already died during the protests. Today they are more than twice as high.
The call for early elections is not just national. International organizations such as the OAS have asked for the call for elections to be made as soon as possible. But Congress remains self-centered, and Congressmen stand by their positions without seeking consensus. Some want the elections to take place in 2024 so that political reforms can be carried out earlier, while others want a constituent assembly to be convened in addition to the elections. To try to garner more support for their cause, some projects are even pushing for supplementary elections that allow congressmen to be re-elected to complete the 2021-2016 term. And there is no agreement.
The president says everything is in the hands of Congress and refuses to step down, another avenue that could lead to an election call. But Boluarte doesn’t think about it. On the same Thursday as Congress debated the new text to be rejected, the President traveled to Piura and said bluntly: “My resignation is not at stake in this situation. I know that there is a minimal part of the population of these groups that cause violence and chaos in the country and use blackmail to force the resignation of the President. We will not give in to this political, anarchic blackmail that wants to lead the country into disorder and crisis.” For the majority of Peruvians, however, the country is already experiencing a disorder and crisis unknown in decades.
Follow all international information on Facebook and Twitteror in our weekly newsletter.
Subscribe to EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without limits.
subscribe to