What's Behind Peru's Political Crisis?

What’s Behind Peru’s Political Crisis? Since the removal of Pedro Castillo as president earlier this month, Peru has been amidst protests and political intrigue.

Authorities in this South American nation have declared a 30-day state of emergency, restricting citizens’ rights to assembly and mobility while also granting police warrantless access to residences.

However, demonstrations and roadblocks have persisted.
According to Peruvian police, at least 17 people have been murdered in the protests.

Castillo’s detractors claim that parliament constitutionally impeached him because he exceeded his authority by attempting to dissolve the legislature before an impeachment attempt.

Those who believe the former union leader was unfairly deposed and imprisoned by the country’s political establishment have argued that he should be released and allowed to resume his role as leader of the country or that fresh elections should be called.

Today is the 7th day of protests in Peru. There are now major roadblocks across Peru. The scale of the protests continue to grow despite 7 people, mostly underage, being killed by police. The coup govt. greatly underestimated that people would fight back & defend Castillo. pic.twitter.com/xPtIywqfNb
— Manolo De Los Santos (@manolo_realengo) December 13, 2022

The Andean country may be the world’s second-largest exporter of copper, but structural inequality and poverty are pervasive throughout the country.

Who Are The Players?

The day after Castillo was removed, Vice President Dina Boluarte was sworn into office.

She is the country’s first female president and had a relatively low political profile before her rise to office.

Boluarte’s control on the government appears to be weakening as protests continue and police use broad powers.

According to survey statistics cited by the Peruvian newspaper La Republica, more than 70% of the population is opposed to Boluarte becoming president. The same poll found that 44% of respondents supported Castillo’s efforts to dissolve congress.

Since Castillo’s removal, two cabinet ministers have resigned: Education Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Perez.

Bio
Latest Posts

GSR

My name is Gourav Singh, and some of my favorite hobbies include watching movies and television series, playing sports, and listening to music. For my blog posts, I prefer to write about themes that are lighthearted and fun to read and write about. To keep things light and entertaining, I'll include funny observations on life or a summary of the most recent entertainment news. Check out my blog if you're in the mood for some light entertainment.