The political history of Peru is full of coups and military dictatorships. When we take a look at the history of the military dictatorships in Peru, in 1919, the first dictatorial regime using the army force was founded by Augusto Leguía y Salcedo who remained in power for 20 years. After a short break from military dictatorship with the presidency of Manuel Prado Ugarteche, in 1948, Peru experienced another coup d’état led by Manuel Arturo Odría, resulting in the ban of political parties.
During the cold war era, leftist-communist groups appeared and gained popularity in Peru, just like many other examples in the rest of the World. In 1969, Sandero Luminioso (Communist Party on the Luminous Path of Mariátegui), a guerilla terrorist organization, was founded by Abimael Guzmán as a breakaway from the Communist Party of Peru. Sendero Luminoso gained popularity in universities through the 70s among students from rural regions, also the public policies of the governments that are ignoring the rural areas increased the effectiveness of Sendero Luminoso in these regions. In 1979, the group engaged in demonstrations for free public education, which were severely suppressed by the army.[1]
When the characteristics of Peruvian politics are considered, it is a representative democracy with a multi-party system. According to its constitution, which was adopted in 1993 after the coup d’état led by Alberto Fujimori, Peru is a “democratic presidential republic”. It was created by the supporters of Fujimori, without the participation of any opposition, and gives the presidency greater levels of power than the previous 1979 Constitution.
Control of the media channels also has been a tool for governments to consolidate their power in Peru, which is a common characteristic of dictatorial regimes. In the late ’90s, Fujimori used media to shape the upcoming elections and secure his position. Although Fujimori was the winner of the 2000 elections with high levels of corruption, his term only lasted for two years and he resigned from the position while he was out of the country.
Peruvian politics has also been marked by corruption scandals and political instability. In recent years, several former presidents have been accused of corruption and have faced legal proceedings. In addition, there have been several political crises, including the impeachment of President Martín Vizcarra in 2020 and the subsequent resignation of his successor Manuel Merino after mass protests.
Peruvian politics has historically been dominated by two major parties: the center-right Popular Action party (Acción Popular) and the center-left Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano). However, in recent years, there has been a rise of new political forces and independent candidates. For instance, Peru Libre is the political party of former President Pedro Castillo, which is a leftist party that advocates for the nationalization of natural resources, higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy, and a more active role for the state in the economy. Another recently occurred left-wing political party is Juntos por el Perú which was founded in 2017 and gained popularity in the 2021 presidential election with its progressive platform that included promoting social justice and fighting corruption. Renovación Popular on the other hand is a right-wing populist party led by businessman Rafael López Aliaga, which gained support in the 2021 presidential election with its anti-corruption and anti-establishment platform. Finally, in recent years, there has been a trend of independent candidates who have gained popularity through their grassroots campaigns and social media presence. For example, in the 2018 municipal elections, independent candidate Jorge Muñoz was elected as mayor of Lima, the capital city of Peru. Overall, the rise of new political forces in Peru reflects a growing dissatisfaction with the traditional political establishment and a desire for change and fresh ideas.
The 2021 presidential elections in Peru were marked by a high level of political polarization and a large number of candidates. Pedro Castillo won the first round of the elections in April 2021, receiving the highest number of votes (18%) among 18 candidates. However, he did not win an outright majority and advanced to the second round against the right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori, who received 13% of the vote. The second round of the elections was held in June 2021, and Pedro Castillo won with 50.1% of the vote, defeating Keiko Fujimori by a narrow margin although Fujimori was supported by the largest media platforms, Lima’s elite circles and armed forces.[2]
Pedro Castillo, a former rural school teacher and trade union leader, on the other hand, emerged as a surprise candidate in the 2021 presidential elections in Peru. He ran for the left-wing party Perú Libre and campaigned on a platform of promoting social justice, fighting corruption, and reforming the economy to benefit ordinary people. Pedro Castillo’s victory was seen as a rejection of the political establishment in Peru, which has been criticized for corruption, inequality, and a lack of progress in addressing social and economic issues. His campaign focused on addressing these issues and promoting a more equitable and inclusive society. Since taking office in July 2021, President Castillo has faced a number of challenges, including a fragmented Congress and criticism from some sectors of the business community. However, he has also received support from social movements and civil society groups who see him as a voice for change and reform in Peru.
Due to the criticisms and the opposition within Congress, on 7 December 2022, Castillo attempted to dissolve Congress arguing that it was misconducting its powers to eradicate the executive branch, and alleged a self-coup attempt. Many members of Castillo’s cabinet resigned after this announcement, and he was impeached the same day. He is detained for 18 months for rebellion and conspiracy accusations. Dina Boluarte was oathed as the new president of Peru the next day.
After Castillo’s impeachment his supporters, mainly composed grassroot movements and indigenous communities, started nationwide protests for his release and the removal of Dina Boluarte from office. On December 14, the Boluarte government announced a state emergency for 30 days that removed some constitutional rights of the citizens such as freedom of movement, assembly, and security. After the end of the 30 days period of state emergency, it was extended for 30 more days due to the ongoing protests. During the events, many reports showed the excessive use of force against the protesters.[3]
Although history repeatedly showed that the coup d’états, military oppression or the suspension of democracy cannot be an answer in the quest for political stabilization, Peru addresses the military against political instability. Current protests representing the will of the people on the reinforcement of democracy and human rights, call for a significant change in the previous political culture. Although the existing political culture in the country makes it more challenging to achieve these goals, both the latest elections and the current protests should be taken into account by policymakers in their efforts to achieve stability and peace in Peru.
[1] Wilson F (2000). Representing the State? School and Teacher in Post-Sendero Peru. Bulletin of Latin American Research. Vol 19, No.1 pp 1-16.
[2] https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2022/peru
[3] https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/peru-upr-excessive-use-of-force-during-protests-a-live-issue/
By The European Institute for International Law and International Relations.
