There were two drops that broke the camel’s back on December 7, 2022 in Peru, which was already deeply politically divided – a failed coup attempt and a historic change of power.
The background – and the events in 7 points:
Castillo’s deposition
Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo was impeached on December 7, 2022 after announcing that he would dissolve Congress and respond by decree.
Politicians from the government camp and the opposition had interpreted the announcement as a coup d’état. Countless cabinet members stood in front of him, especially former Vice President Dina Boluarte. She wrote on Twitter: “This is an attempted coup that exacerbates the political and institutional crisis that Peruvian society must overcome in strict compliance with the law.”
Rechazo la decision of Pedro Castillo the perpetrator of the constitutional order with the cierre del congreso. It is a country that exacerbates the political and institutional crisis that pushes Peruvian society into superarre con restricto apego a la ley.
— Dina Boluarte Z. (@DinaErcilia) December 7, 2022
That same day, Pedro Castillo was impeached and arrested by the Peruvian Congress. The charge against him is: rebellion.
Dina Boluarte takes office
After the overthrow of Pedro Castillo, Dina Boluarte was sworn in as the new president, as required by the constitution. Previously, she was Vice President to deposed President Pedro Castillo and Minister of Development and Social Inclusion. The 60-year-old lawyer is the first head of state in Peru’s history.
Change of power was the last straw
The turbulent transfer of power comes at a time that is already politically turbulent. Dina Boluarte is the sixth president in just five years. Peruvian politics is mired in corruption. The presidents have been interspersed with corruption scandals since 1990. The public has even less confidence in Congress, which is also considered corrupt. In addition, there is a deep division in the country: the gap between rich and poor is wide.
Nationwide protests
In the first days after the impeachment, protests broke out in South American countries. Thousands of people demand the release of the imprisoned ex-president and the resignation of Dina Boluarte.
Some protesters even hope for a dissolution of parliament, which they say has been treated unfairly:
Castillo’s followers
In June 2021, left-wing politician Pedro Castillo won the second round against right-wing populist Keiko Fujimo. The election took place in the middle of the corona pandemic, which polarized the country even more. Peru has a dramatic increase in poverty and one of the highest mortality rates in the world.
Castillo grew up in an impoverished and illiterate peasant family, representing mostly rural Peru, largely living in abject poverty. Anthony Medina Rivas Plata, a political scientist at the Catholic University of Santa María, explained his choice at the time:
State of emergency
In recent days, the protests have escalated to the point of violent confrontations between protesters and the police. According to Human Rights Ombudsman Eliana Revollar, there have been several deaths, including two minors.
On December 15, 2022, in response to increasing violent protests, the government of Peru declared a 30-day state of emergency across the country. “Because of vandalism and violence, the seizure of highways and roads,” the government has declared a state of emergency, Defense Minister Alberto Otárola said.
With the state of emergency, the military takes over public security and some basic rights such as freedom of assembly are suspended.
800 stranded tourists
To prevent further protests, the only train connection with which you can reach the world-famous Inca site of Machu Picchu has now been suspended. About 800 tourists of different nationalities are trapped in the tourist region. This has been announced by the local authorities. They now want to try to set up an airlift to evacuate people.
(with material from the SDA news agency)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
