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NPR's Michel Martin speaks with political analyst Andrea Moncada about Peru's botched coup and what it means for democracy in the South American nation.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Thousands of miles away from Germany, another threat to democracy unfolded last week. Pedro Castillo, the now former president of Peru, tried to dissolve Congress and seize power, but the coup attempt did not succeed. Instead, he was impeached and arrested Wednesday. Castillo was replaced by his vice president, Dina Boluarte, who is Peru's sixth president in six years and the first woman in the role. To learn more about all this, we called Andrea Moncada, a Peruvian political analyst and journalist based in Oxford, England. And she's with us now. Welcome, Andrea Moncada. Thanks so much for joining us.

ANDREA MONCADA: Hi. Thank you very much for having me.

MARTIN: Could you just walk us through a little bit of the background here? What happened that led to this kind of dramatic moment last week?

MONCADA: Yes. So Wednesday was the very dramatic culmination of about 18 months of political chaos and confrontation between then-President Pedro Castillo and Congress. So this was the third attempt to impeach him in 18 months. And he apparently tried to avoid that impeachment by deciding to illegally dissolve Congress. Now, that move was unconstitutional, and so it convinced parliamentarians who were perhaps on the fence about removing him from office to do so.

MARTIN: You know, it sounds like President Castillo tried to do the same thing that President Alberto Fujimori did back in 1992 - you know, dissolve Congress to rule by decree, consolidate power. But it didn't work this time. Why not?

MONCADA: The main reason is that Castillo did not have the support of the army, which Fujimori did have back in 1992. But another reason I think is important is that Castillo had no support besides his very, very closest advisers in order to pull this off. He did not have, for example, the judiciary behind him. He had no allies in Congress. He was, in comparison with Fujimori, a very weak sort of wannabe dictator.

MARTIN: So the vice president was sworn in. Tell us a little bit more, if you would, about Dina Boluarte. And do Peruvians think she can stabilize the country's political leadership?

MONCADA: So Dina Boluarte was a very unknown figure up until when she was elected as vice president in 2021. She previously worked as a public servant, a relatively minor public servant. And when she was elected as vice president, she was in charge of the ministry of development. Now, as to whether she can stabilize the country, I think that she has the exact same challenges and problems that Castillo faced when he was elected president. And so my answer would be no. And I also think that Peruvians in general don't have a lot of faith in this president, precisely because while she may be less tainted by all the corruption allegations surrounding Castillo, she is inexperienced politician in a country that is extremely complex.

MARTIN: Why has Peru been through so many leadership changes in the past couple years? How do you understand that?

MONCADA: I believe that we can pinpoint this current cycle of political instability to 2016. So that was the year in which Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a right-wing politician, was elected to the presidency. But he faced a very, very overwhelming majority - opposition majority in Congress. So the largest party at the time was Fuerza Popular, which was Keiko Fujimori's party - is Keiko Fujimori's party - and she is the daughter of the former dictator Alberto Fujimori.

And so from the get-go, they were very determined to remove him from office under the belief that he had, in some ways, stolen the election from them because he won by a very small margin. And so they tried to impeach him twice and finally were able to force his resignation under corruption allegations. Congress was also very much opposed to him, and they all also decided to impeach him as well. So I think for parliamentarians in Peru to remove a sitting president who they don't like is not a difficult affair under this impeachment mechanism.

MARTIN: I also am curious about what it means regionally. I mean, Castillo was considered a leftist. I mean, he - a former teacher who's a former strike leader - and the political left is having, I would say, something of a resurgence in Latin America right now. I'm thinking about Lula's recent victory in Brazil. In Colombia, you have Gustavo Petro. Is there anything that speaks to kind of a regional moment or a moment in the regional politics, or do you think the issue here is really more specific to Peru?

MONCADA: I mean, there was definitely a sense of expectation when he assumed office precisely because he is a - was a very leftist sort of president. And that was unusual for Peru's politics. And Peru was already pretty disillusioned with the right, which had not really managed to bring a lot of prosperity to the country after about 15 years of rule. But again, the leftist wave in Latin America is not a monolith. Every president who is on the left right now is pretty different and rather unique to their own country, really. And that's the same with Peru. And the fact is that despite all that, he was - I believe is - a very corrupt president and was not precisely interested in governing and in policymaking.

MARTIN: If you don't mind my asking, how are your friends and, you know, colleagues, family members back home in Peru taking all this in? Or have people kind of come to accept this as the new normal?

MONCADA: The general feeling that I get and that I've personally felt for the past four or five years that we've been in this spiral is despair and worry and concern about the future of the country. We worry a lot that it's all going to erode to a point where we will effectively have a - an authoritarian government again.

MARTIN: That is Andrea Moncada. She's a global risk analyst and an authority on Peruvian politics. Andrea Moncada, thanks so much for joining us and sharing these insights with us.

MONCADA: Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

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NPR's Michel Martin speaks with political analyst Andrea Moncada about Peru's botched coup and what it means for democracy in the South American nation. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Thousands of miles away from Germany, another threat to democracy unfolded last week.

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/7/a-look-at-years-of-political-chaos-in-peru

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A man waves Peruvian flag while police officers stand guard during a protest after Congress approved the removal of President Pedro Castillo, in Lima, December 7, 2022 [Alessandro Cinque/Reuters]

Peru has seen a series of presidents removed from office or imprisoned on allegations of corruption over the past 30 years.

On Wednesday, Peru's Congress voted to remove President Pedro Castillo in the third impeachment trial since he came to power in July last year.

The move came just hours after Castillo had said he would dissolve the legislature by decree.

Here is a rundown of Peru's recent political turmoil:

Pedro Castillo, 2021-2022

A former teacher and farmer, Castillo gained strong support in poor, rural areas of the country to win a divisive election campaign but his approval ratings fell quickly and he faced constant opposition from a fragmented Congress and accusations of "moral incapacity".

He survived two impeachment votes before finally being voted out on Wednesday in a dramatic day where he had earlier tried to dissolve Congress, sparking allegations of an attempted coup.

Manuel Merino, 2020

A former head of Congress who led impeachment proceedings against his predecessor Martin Vizcarra and lasted less than a week.

He resigned after two deaths during protests against his government sparked an exodus from his cabinet and widespread calls for his removal. Lawmakers had said they would launch impeachment proceedings against him if he did not resign.

Martin Vizcarra, 2018-2020

Lawmakers removed Vizcarra after media reports alleged he had received 2.3 million soles ($640,000) in bribes from two companies that won a public works tender while he was a regional governor years earlier.

Vizcarra, who had long clashed with lawmakers, strongly denied the allegations but was voted out of office after a second impeachment trial in as many months found him "morally incapable" of governing.

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, 2016-2018

Prosecutors investigated Kuczynski for favouring contracts with Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht while he was a minister under former President Alejandro Toledo.

Kuczynski initially denied any ties to Odebrecht, a company at the heart of a political corruption probe that swept the whole region. But he eventually acknowledged his consulting firm advised the builder on project financing. Kuczynski resigned from the presidency in 2018 amid pressure from Congress.

Ollanta Humala, 2011-2016

Humala is facing trial over allegations he received $3m from Odebrecht during the 2011 presidential election campaign.

Prosecutors have requested 20 years in prison. Humala denies the allegations.

Alan Garcia, 1985-1990 and 2006-2011

Garcia died by suicide in April 2019 with a gunshot to the head when Peruvian police arrived to arrest him over allegations he participated in another Odebrecht bribery scheme.

A charismatic political leader who served two terms, Garcia repeatedly denied the allegations of bribery.

Alejandro Toledo, 2001-2006

Toledo is accused of receiving a $20m bribe from Odebrecht during his tenure. He is free on bail in the United States but faces extradition proceedings to Peru.

The former president, who has denied the allegations, spent nearly eight months in a Californian prison.

Alberto Fujimori, 1990-2000

Fujimori is serving a 25-year sentence in prison for human rights abuses, including commanding death squads that massacred civilians in a counterinsurgency campaign during his government.

He was later also found guilty of corruption in a large scandal.

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A look at years of political chaos in Peru

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Peru has seen a series of presidents removed from office or imprisoned on allegations of corruption over the past 30 years. On Wednesday, Peru's Congress voted to remove President Pedro Castillo in the third impeachment trial since he came to power in July last year.

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https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/01/30/political-turmoil-is-tearing-peru-apart

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Two months of often violent protest threaten democracy’s survival

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https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/violence-perus-indigenous-protesters-outrage-rcna67234

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The government of Peru has unleashed a massive and violent response against mostly Indigenous protesters who are trying to save Peruvian democracy. A Peruvian political crisis that has lasted decades entered a new and deadlier phase in December when then-President Pedro Castillo was removed from office by the country's Congress, charged with rebellion and replaced by Vice President Dina Boluarte. Since then, at least 55 people have been killed and nearly 1,500 have been injured. The events of the last two months in Peru are yet another example of what happens to democratic societies when autocrats are allowed to run amok and silence the voices of the people they claim to govern.

The events of the last two months in Peru are yet another example of what happens to democratic societies when autocrats are allowed to run amok.

Given what's been happening here in the United States, we should not ignore that lesson.

Castillo, a former teacher who identifies as a Marxist but is against same-sex marriage and abortion, was elected in 2021 thanks to strong support from poor and rural voters, the forgotten and marginalized voices of Peru. He was Peru's fifth president in five years, and after that contentious election, Castillo's right-wing opposition made sure he never really had a chance to succeed. His attempt to dissolve Peru's Congress in December lacked military support, setting the stage for Boluarte to become Peru's first female president.

Boluarte appears to have grossly underestimated the reaction that would come from the country's rural and Indigenous populations. They've protested, clashing with security forces. The growing calls for her resignation have resulted in more violence. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the country's top prosecutor's office said it was investigating Boluarte and two of her Cabinet members "on charges of 'genocide, qualified homicide and serious injuries.'"

It would be a grave mistake for Americans to shrug this all off. What is happening in Peru could happen here if structural racism and inequality aren't addressed and a basic belief in democracy isn't re-established across our country. Democracy is, indeed, a fragile experiment, and when divisiveness becomes as untenable as it's become in Peru, disaster ensues.

"The deepening crisis is a cautionary tale about the risks of democratic governments' failure to do their jobs and deliver for ordinary people," Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno of Human Rights Watch wrote Tuesday in a detailed and comprehensive summary of the Peruvian crisis. According to McFarland Sánchez-Moreno, the signs were all there for the entire world to see.

"Peru has been riven by severe economic inequality and systemic racism," she added. "A third of the population lives in Lima, where the bulk of government services and wealth are concentrated, while rural areas and Indigenous populations in general have significantly higher rates of extreme poverty and social exclusion. Inequality, including the lack of access to health services in many rural areas, contributed to Peru experiencing the world's highest reported death rate from COVID-19."

While the United States may have a ways to go before it reaches the crisis level that Peru reached, the seeds are all there.

While the United States may have a ways to go before it reaches the crisis level that Peru reached, the seeds are all there. There's election denialism, the rise of right-wing voices in Congress and governor's offices, sharply polarized rhetoric, structural racism and economic inequality. In 2021, for example, income inequality in the United States increased for the first time in a decade. Meanwhile, America is virtually split between those who believe structural racism continues to exclude marginalized groups even in a country that's becoming less white and those who deny the existence of systemic racism but then carry it out with policies meant to suppress the vote or criminalize the teaching of marginalized peoples' history.

In Peru, Boluarte and her supporters are quick to label Indigenous Castillo supporters "terrorists," continuing a troubling trend that criminalizes anyone with leftist sympathies. " We're students, not terrorists " is one of the chants from those protesting.

So far, it seems Peru is on its own without the rest of the world paying much attention, and the current power structure that has kept the country divided for years still does not want to back down. Despite Boluarte calling for a truce earlier this week, the protests and the government's violent response to them continued.

On Saturday, Peru's government shut down Machu Picchu, the 15th-century Inca ruins that are a huge tourist draw. Protesters attempted to storm an airport near Machu Picchu this month, and railroad tracks to the ruins have been damaged. According to Peruvian Tourism Minister Luis Fernando Helguero, 417 visitors (more than 300 of them foreign tourists) had been stuck at the ruins, The Associated Press reported. That's big news, but the shutting down of a major tourist draw is not the main reason we Americans should care about what's happening in Peru.

We should care because we're watching democracy be threatened and people - many of them Indigenous - are fighting back. People in Peru are being wrongly killed for standing up for democracy. This should serve as another warning because the same seeds of Peru's conflict have already been planted here.

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Opinion | The U.S. is much closer to Peru's state of crisis than we may think

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The government of Peru has unleashed a massive and violent response against mostly Indigenous protesters who are trying to save Peruvian democracy. A Peruvian political crisis that has lasted decades entered a new and deadlier phase in December when then-President Pedro Castillo was removed from office by the country's Congress, charged with rebellion and replaced by Vice President Dina Boluarte.

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/peru-political-turmoil

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Peru's government is in the midst of a political crisis Tuesday after its president dissolved the country's congress for failing to support his anti-corruption reforms - only for lawmakers to respond by suspending him from office and appointing his vice president as their new leader.

President Martín Vizcarra's actions against the opposition-controlled congress were met with cheers early Tuesday morning by thousands of people who took to the streets of its capital, Lima, waving Peruvian flags, chanting and carrying signs with phrases like "Get out, corrupt politicians!"

Others tried to force their way into the legislature to get lawmakers out, but were driven back by police with tear gas.

"We are making history that will be remembered by future generations," Vizcarra said in a national address Monday evening. "And when they do, I hope they understand the magnitude of this fight that we are in today against an endemic evil that has caused much harm to our country."

Nearly every living Peruvian ex-president has been implicated in a graft scandal centered around Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction giant that has admitted to dolling out millions of dollars to politicians around Latin America in exchange for lucrative public works contracts, the Associated Press reports.
PERU'S FORMER PRESIDENT ALAN GARCIA SHOOTS HIMSELF TO AVOID ARREST AMID CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS
Vizcarra, who used to be Peru's vice president, rose to the presidency last year after President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned following revelations that his private consulting firm had received undisclosed payments from Odebrecht.

Opposition leaders on Monday denounced Vizcarra's move to dissolve congress as the work of a "dictator," refusing to leave the building and instead approving a resolution to suspend Vizcarra for "breaking the constitutional order," according to the Associated Press. They swore in Mercedes Aráoz, the vice president who recently broke with Vizcarra over his push to hold early elections next year.

But the lawmakers' acts likely carry only symbolic weight since congress is considered vacated.

"I know many Peruvians are upset," said Aráoz, who was greeted by applauding lawmakers singing the national anthem. "I share that anger but the solution for a crisis like this is not irresponsible gestures."

PERU STARTS DEMANDING PASSPORTS, VISAS FROM VENEZUELANS
Vizcarra recently criticized lawmakers for rushing to a vote on replacing six of the seven magistrates on Peru's Constitutional Tribunal, which is expected to decide several important cases in the months ahead.

Though the terms for all six magistrates had expired, Vizcarra, legal observers, and human rights organizations criticized the congressional action for its speed and lack of transparency. The newspaper El Comercio reported Monday that six of the candidates up for consideration are facing potential criminal or civil charges for offenses including kidnapping, extortion and sex abuse.

Peru's judicial system is notoriously corrupt, the Associated Press reported, with judges caught on wiretaps negotiating deals on sentences for serious crimes.
MAN OUTSIDE UK PARLIAMENT IS 'RUGBY TACKLED' AFTER DOUSING HIMSELF IN 'FLAMMABLE LIQUID', POLICE SAY
Vizcarra had warned he would dissolve congress if legislators went ahead with the magistrate votes before weighing his own proposal for reforming how magistrates are selected. But lawmakers - prior to the dissolution of Congress - pushed forward in defiance Monday, accusing Vizcarra of blocking what should be a "simple procedure" conducted in accordance with the law.

One of the cases those magistrates are expected to rule on is a habeas corpus request to free Keiko Fujimori, the leader of the congressional majority right-wing Popular Force party who currently is being held as prosecutors investigate her for allegedly laundering money from Odebrecht. She is the daughter of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who was convicted of several cases of embezzelment and bribery.

Vizcarra, the BBC reports, has accused his party of trying to block corruption investigations by stalling his proposed reforms.
CLICK HERE FOR THE ALL-NEW FOXBUSINESS.COM
"The parliamentary majority resorts to innumerable arguments and tricks, destined to harm not just government but society as a whole," the network quoted him as saying during his address.

So far, Peruvian authorities appear to be fully behind Vizcarra. His press office has released an image of him meeting with the heads of the army, navy, air force and police at the presidential residence in Lima.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Peru in turmoil as president, lawmakers split over who is in charge

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Peru's government is in the midst of a political crisis Tuesday after its president dissolved the country's congress for failing to support his anti-corruption reforms - only for lawmakers to respond by suspending him from office and appointing his vice president as their new leader.

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https://www.wola.org/2023/02/perus-deteriorating-human-rights-situation-signals-deeper-political-crisis/

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On 2 February, WOLA President Carolina Jiménez Sandoval together with Senior Fellow and Peru expert Jo-Marie Burt met with Peruvian Foreign Affairs Minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi at WOLA's Washington, D.C. office to discuss the human rights situation in the crisis-stricken country.
Large protests have shaken Peru since President Pedro Castillo was removed from office after he illegally attempted to dissolve congress and install an emergency government on December 7, 2022. After his removal, then Vice President Dina Boluarte took the presidential seat-becoming Peru's sixth president in as many years.

In the two months since then, at least 58 civilians have died in the context of the unrest that has erupted across the country, according to Peru's Human Rights Ombudsman . Of these, 47 died as a result of gunshot wounds or injuries from other projectiles such as tear gas canisters, according to the National Human Rights Coordinator . Video and testimonial evidence including, in some cases, ballistics reports, point to the role of Peru's police and the armed forces in these killings. Hundreds of protesters have also been injured, including 59 journalists.

WOLA has also learned of hundreds of arbitrary detentions, including of minors and reporters, some of whom complained they were ill-treated and prevented from contacting their lawyers while in detention. Additionally WOLA has taken note of many reports of racist and demeaning language being used by police against protestors, many of whom are from rural, indigenous regions of Peru. Human rights organizations have also documented hundreds of instances of harassment and attacks against journalists and human rights defenders. Such abuses represent a serious deterioration of Peru's human rights situation.

In addition, another 11 civilians died in the context of the dozens of road blockades erected by protestors across the country. One police officer was found burned to death. WOLA also received worrisome reports of violence, vandalism, burning of government buildings, and the takeover of airports. While the government has the duty to maintain public order and to investigate and sanction acts of violence or criminality, it must do so while upholding strict respect for human rights.

President Boluarte and her government say they are committed to ensuring public safety. However, attempting to achieve security through the disproportionate use of force is a predictably counterproductive strategy that, so far, has only intensified the protests and deepened the country's crisis.

To date, no officials have been charged for the deaths that have taken place as a result of the actions of the security forces during the protests. Government representatives have called for the Public Ministry to investigate the abuses. But widespread impunity for human rights violations at the hands of the Peruvian security forces tempers hopes for effective accountability. Moreover, President Boluarte and her ministers have emphasized public messages that praise security forces and vilify demonstrators, congratulating police for their " immaculate " actions while blaming protesters for causing " " Such messages undermine confidence that the government is committed to ensuring accountability and preventing further abuses.

WOLA is also concerned about the government's state of emergency decrees, which enable the participation of the armed forces in police actions of social control. A 30-day state of emergency was declared on December 14 in specific regions of the country; the following day, December 15, soldiers reportedly killed ten protestors , including a man who was tending to a wounded demonstrator, in Ayacucho. The state of emergency was renewed on January 15, and on February 5, a 60-day state of emergency was in several regions. This most recent state of emergency decree puts the armed forces in charge of internal order in the department of Puno, where 18 protestors were killed by police on January 9. The armed forces are not prepared for conducting such operations and state of emergency decrees in a context of deep political crisis only contribute to aggravating the human rights crisis.

Protests have continued to spread across the country over recent weeks. The calls for President Boluarte to resign and for early general elections ring loud, as do the concerns over democratic backsliding in Peru. While there was hope that Congress would heed the demands for early elections, in recent days the of all legislative proposals toward that end seem to have closed off that path, which is likely to increase social unrest and political instability.

The Boluarte government has stated that it prioritizes to address the current political crisis. If the Boluarte government is committed to genuine and productive dialogue among Peruvians, it is essential that it fundamentally change its approach to the challenging political and institutional crisis Peru is facing.

First, it must cease violent repression against peaceful demonstrators and ensure that security forces act within the framework of the law to prevent and respond to any acts of violence. Responding to protests with excessive force, including lethal force, is not only contrary to the human rights standards Peru has committed to upholding but also fuels chaos and mistrust in government.

Second, it should urgently revamp the way it publicly refers to protesters, particularly those who have suffered human rights abuses. Broadly stigmatizing and criminalizing demonstrators as a way to delegitimize their demands will do little to resolve this crisis, or open doors to dialogue. Instead, the Boluarte government should show good will by publicly acknowledging and apologizing for the abuses committed by the security forces and ensuring that victims have access to the justice and reparations they are entitled to. Unless the government acknowledges the abuses that took place and commits to repairing them, there's little chance for any meaningful conversation to take place.

In the absence of dialogue, repression and violence will likely escalate and Peru's human rights crisis could also become a humanitarian one. In this sense, Peru's deteriorating human rights situation reflects a deep political crisis that requires an urgent, peaceful solution.

For its part, as WOLA has previously, the United States and other international actors should unequivocally condemn the human rights violations that have occurred in the context of the protests, call for prompt investigation into the perpetrators, and support a path to holding early general elections as one step to addressing the country's fragile democracy.

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Peru's Deteriorating Human Rights Situation Signals Deeper Political Crisis - WOLA

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On 2 February, WOLA President Carolina Jiménez Sandoval together with Senior Fellow and Peru expert Jo-Marie Burt met with Peruvian Foreign Affairs Minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi at WOLA's Washington, D.C. office to discuss the human rights situation in the crisis-stricken country.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/everything-you-need-to-know-about-perus-political-crisis/2023/01/14/323b39ce-93cb-11ed-90f8-53661ac5d9b9_story.html

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Peru, a country that's used to political turmoil, has seen its worst outbreak of violence in years following the ouster and arrest of leftist President Pedro Castillo. Over the next five weeks, 40 of the protesters seeking his reinstatement were killed and one policeman burned to death. Behind the crisis lie both a deep urban-rural divide and a fragmented political system in which a string of presidents have faced impeachment, jail time for corruption or both. Many of the indigenous groups now blocking roads and seeking to take over airports saw Castillo as a rare voice speaking on their behalf.

1. What happened to Castillo?

A politically inexperienced former teacher representing a small radical-left party, Peru Libre, Castillo narrowly scraped into office in elections in 2021. In his short time in office, he was hobbled by his own missteps and stiff opposition from a congress dominated by conservatives. Accusations of corruption triggered two failed impeachment votes. On Dec. 7, just before a third impeachment trial was to begin, Castillo ordered Peru's congress dissolved and said he would rule by decree for nine months before convening an assembly to write a new constitution. The reaction was swift: the police and the military refused to obey Castillo's decision, most of his cabinet immediately quit, the constitutional court called his announcement a coup, the number of lawmakers backing his impeachment soared and he was voted out office within hours. Castillo was arrested as he tried to flee to the Mexican embassy.

2. Who took over?

Castillo's vice president, Dina Boluarte, a lawyer also elected on Peru Libre's ticket, was sworn in the same afternoon to become Peru's first female president. While Castillo had governed with help at times from the center and more moderate left, Boluarte has found backing within the fragmented right-wing parties that together hold a majority in congress.

3. How did the protests start?

Unrest began almost as soon as Castillo was deposed, with trucks being used to block highways. The protests have been centered in Andean cities in the Peruvian south, with particularly violent clashes in Ayacucho and Juliaca. Their airports, as well as those in the larger cities of Cuzco and Arequipa, have been repeatedly closed due to demonstrators seeking to take them over. The crowds were united in demanding Boluarte's resignation but split over whether they wanted Castillo reinstated or new elections.

4. What was the response?

Boluarte declared a nationwide state of emergency in Peru in December, suspending some civil liberties such as the right to assembly. She sent the military in to try to quash protests. The result has been at least 40 deaths, including 17 killed in a single protest in Juliaca on Jan. 9. Peru's attorney general has opened an investigation into the actions of Boluarte and the ministers in charge of law enforcement for potential charges of genocide and homicide. Boluarte has rebuffed calls to resign, saying that would not solve anything: The next in line for the presidency is the head of congress, Jose Williams Zapata, a former head of Peru's armed forces and a member of the right-wing party Avanza Pais. His ascension would likely keep the protests afloat.

5. What has the legislature done?

It agreed to Boluarte's request to move general elections up from 2026 to 2024. Lawmakers also confirmed Boluarte's cabinet, a key test for any fledgling administration, which gives her some breathing room to govern in the short term, despite the violent strife. The earlier election date, however, has not been enough to appease protesters in Peru's impoverished rural south, where Castillo had his strongest backing. Many there approve of Castillo's attempt to dissolve congress and want both Boluarte and the legislature out as soon as possible.

6. Is political consensus possible in Peru?

If it is, it wouldn't be easy to achieve, based on recent trends. Boluarte is Peru's fifth president in less than three years. Two of those presidents were forced out through impeachment while a third resigned while facing massive protests. It has been a while since an elected president finished his term in Peru. The last one was Ollanta Humala, who governed between 2011 and 2016. Congress is also not a beacon of stability. Its website currently lists 14 different blocs in the unicameral body of 130 lawmakers, including one bloc made up of lawmakers that are not aligned with any party. Creating a majority means wrangling multiple small blocs together, generally briefly.

7. What will happen to Castillo?

Castillo has been put in pre-trial detention for 18 months while prosecutors investigate him for allegedly mounting a rebellion, among other things, charges he denies. Spending time behind bars is not unusual for Peruvian presidents. Since 1985, all six Peruvian presidents who were elected through a popular vote in that time period are either currently in jail, have spent some time in jail or have faced an arrest warrant. In fact, Castillo is currently detained in the same facility as former President Alberto Fujimori, who was sentenced for corruption and human rights violations.

8. How divided is Peru on these events?

A December poll by the Institute of Peruvian Studies, a think tank, showed that only 27% of Peruvians were in agreement over Boluarte taking over as president. Business confidence, however, has soared according to monthly polls carried out by the central bank. Boluarte has appointed a cabinet with social conservatives and moderate technocrats, angering the left, and has emphasized her displeasure with the economic costs of protests, which has particularly affected agribusiness and mining.

9. What's behind the strife?

The unrest also underscores Peru's significant rural-urban divide. While Lima, the capital, has seen some protests they have been centered in the rural Andes, Peru's poorest region overall, where poverty rates hit 44% in 2021, according to the country's statistics agency. That is twice as high as the rate in the urban coast, which includes Lima. Peru is the world's No. 2 copper producer, with its mineral wealth concentrated in the Andes. But the country continues to struggle to transform mining taxes into significant progress for its nearby rural populations. The pandemic also undid some progress and 2022 saw a spike in protests against mining operations centered on complaints about wealth redistribution.

10. What has been the reaction in Latin America?

Four countries led by left-wing presidents - Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, and Mexico - publicly backed Castillo. Mexico went as far as granting asylum to Castillo's wife and children, prompting Peru to declare their ambassador as persona non grata. Castillo's wife, Lilia Paredes, is the subject of a criminal investigation. More recently, Boluarte banned former Bolivian President Evo Morales from entering Peru, alleging that he was behind some of the unrest against her administration. The Conservative-led governments of Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Uruguay, along with left-leaning Chile and the US, recognize the Boluarte administration. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva both wished Boluarte luck and regretted Castillo's ouster.

--With assistance from Stephan Kueffner.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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Analysis | Everything You Need to Know About Peru's Political Crisis

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Peru, a country that's used to political turmoil, has seen its worst outbreak of violence in years following the ouster and arrest of leftist President Pedro Castillo. Over the next five weeks, 40 of the protesters seeking his reinstatement were killed and one policeman burned to death.

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https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/americas/peru-protests-economy-democracy-intl-latam/index.html

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Peru’s crisis is a cautionary tale for democracies | CNN

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Peru is seeing some of its worst political violence in recent decades, but the grievances of protesters are all but new; they reflect a system that has failed to deliver for over twenty years.

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https://news.columbia.edu/news/discontent-protests-violence-peru

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From Discontent to Protests to Violence in Peru

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How did the political situation in Peru escalate to violence? A political scientist unpacks why the country is in turmoil today.

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