Peru’s political history is saturated with corruption. The legacies of its four former presidents (Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Ollanta Humala, Alan García, and Alejandro Toledo) are contaminated with misconduct and deception, and Peruvians are growing weary of this perpetual political cycle of dishonesty and duplicity. In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have gathered across Peru in pro-democracy protests, the catalyst being the removal of President Martín Vizcarra by Congress. Many believe that Vizcarra’s impeachment is a consequence of Peru’s corruption. Although Peru imposed one of the earliest and strictest lockdowns in Latin America in an effort to avoid a health catastrophe during the coronavirus pandemic, it is struggling with almost 965,000 confirmed cases and over 35,000 deaths, according to reports from Johns Hopkins University. This, coupled with economic contraction due to the pandemic, could lead to further volatility as Peruvians simultaneously continue to protest the ongoing period of political instability.
VIZARRA’S REMOVAL
In 2019, centrist President Vizcarra dissolved Congress with the aim of encouraging lawmakers to support his anti-corruption reforms. His opponents were angry and condemned the move as a coup d'état. Fast forward to 9 November 2020, and the Peruvian Congress, which is largely dominated by the right-wing Popular Force party, voted to impeach Vizcarra (105 voted in favour, 19 voted against, and four abstained). Ousted by way of a clause dating back to the 19th century that sanctions the removal of a president for “permanent moral incapacity,” Vizcarra has been accused of receiving bribes worth 2.3m soles (£487,000) whilst he was the governor of the southern Moquegua region. He rejects these allegations and has not been charged, with some describing his removal as a “coup in disguise”. Polls show that most wanted Vizcarra to complete his presidential term.
Vizcarra’s impeachment has been described as “the most serious democratic and human rights crisis [...] since Fujimori,”as the political crisis has cast the state’s democracy into uncertainty. Manuel Merino, the Head of Congress who pushed for the ousting of Vizcarra, was sworn in as Peru’s interim president on 10 November 2020. Many gathered across the cities of Peru to protest both this and the removal of Vizcarra, and more broadly to protest the illegitimacy of the political system at large and to express their growing fatigue with Peru’s main political parties.
DISPROPORTIONATE VIOLENCE FROM THE POLICE DURING PROTESTS
The political turmoil intensified as tens of thousands of predominantly young demonstrators gathered across Peru. These were largely peaceful, however, hostilities broke out between police and demonstrators as police fired tear gas into the crowd and employed tactics such as kettling. Amnesty International established that the National Police used excessive force after receiving reports of “arbitrary arrests by National Police officers in civilian clothes who refused to identify themselves, and of ill-treatment by the security forces”. At one point, a human rights lawyer was arrested whilst representing detainees, and 43 protestors vanished into the prison system without a trace. Furthermore, two students were killed—Jack Pintado (22) and Inti Sotelo (24).
The United Nations said that the Peruvian police “have the obligation to observe at all times the international standards on the use of force in the management of demonstrations,” emphasising that force should not be used in an illegal or arbitrary manner, and that individuals have the right to peacefully protest. Non-governmental organisations and rights groups have argued that the suppression of protests and the excessive use of force by police could create a volatile human rights crisis in a country already affected by political instability and one of the world’s most lethal COVID-19 outbreaks.
A NEW PERU?
Following the deaths of Pintado and Sotelo, Merino resigned on Sunday 15 November 2020 after only six days in office. Half his cabinet also stepped down. He maintained that the actions of Congress were lawful but said, “I, like everyone, want what’s best for our country”. In response to Merino’s resignation, Peruvians cheered and chanted, “We did it!”.
Francisco Sagasti, a legislator for the centrist Purple Party, was sworn in as Peru’s interim president on Tuesday 17 November 2020 following the resignation of Merino. Many hope that he will serve out his term until July 2021, when a new president will be installed following the April 2021 elections. Surface tensions have calmed since his appointment, potentially due to the fact that he and his party voted against Vizcarra’s removal. However, a strong distrust of the political system remains—“the mask has changed but everything is still the same”—and after the emergence of a grassroots movement to defend democracy, young demonstrators have recognised their own power.
Sagasti is known as a consensus builder, someone who has “always had ideas about trying to build bridges in Peru”. Many hope that he will be able to remedy the fragmented relationship between the state and the people, inspiring confidence in the political system whilst healing divisions after a week of disruption. Peru needs a definitive leader with a coherent ideology in order to support constitutional reform. Hopefully, Sagasti will be able to guide Peru towards a future of stability as the country and its people need that now more than ever.
Emma has a Master's degree in International Relations (Terrorism and Political Violence) from the University of Birmingham. She has a specific interest in the international order, specifically geopolitics and the importance of multilateralism to rising global challenges such as refugee crises and international human rights. She is pursuing a career in international relations and research.