Translated by Martina Cintioli
Peru is in a state of emergency after a turbulent power transition and a population determined to make its voice heard: following the vote of no confidence against former President Boluarte, citizens are now showing the same frustration toward the newly elected leader, Jerí. Peaceful protests have been met with violent repression: Amnesty International reports that police fired lead pellets and used large amounts of tear gas, even assaulting eleven journalists and killing Eduardo Ruiz, a 32-year- old rapper.
The Boluarte presidency
Dina Boluarte was elected President of Peru in 2022, amid a period of severe political and social crisis, following the ousting of former President Castillo, who had attempted a coup d’état to address the deep crisis related to his presidency. From the beginning, Boluarte failed to gain the level of popularity she had hoped for: the president was considered unable to tackle the country’s rising crime, and her image was further damaged by a corruption scandal known as Rolexgate. The President was accused of having illegally enriched herself without declaring her assets, an allegation stemming from a Peruvian investigative report that linked her to the ownership of several expensive watches, apparently inconsistent with her official salary. Boluarte’s own statements were weak and contradictory, and the scandal led to the resignation of six ministers and the advancement of two votes of no confidence, neither of which succeeded in removing her. Beyond issues of institutional credibility, Peru faces a period of structural crisis that transcends any single presidency. The continuous cycle of dismissal and unsatisfactory appointments demonstrates that crime, corruption and socioeconomic inequality are the country’s main scourges, and no president seems capable of addressing them.
The vote of no confidence and Jerí’s appointment
On October 10, a successful vote of no confidence removed President Boluarte, allowing Jerí to assume presidency as the next in line, given the absence of a vice president. José Jerí , a lawyer and a member of the conservative party Somos Perú, was elected Speaker of Congress, not only with the support from the right wing, but also from Perú Libre, the main opposition party, to which Boluarte had belonged before her expulsion in 2022.
After taking the oath, the new head of State vowed to lead “with humility”, and “to establish a transitional government”, identifying criminal gangs and organizations as “our enemies”, setting them as him priority. A statement and a promise that might have reassured Peruvians but seems to have gone unnoticed by demonstrators.
Critical issues within the Peruvian Presidency
Protests did not stop after Jerí’s election, as he was perceived as a continuation of the previous presidency: the newly elected president responded by ordering a large-scale raid in some regions of the country to seize contraband, even taking part in one himself. However, critics argue that these are merely symbolic gestures with little real impact. What worries politicians and human right organizations most is the rule of law: some analysts argue that the unusual alliance between the right and the left, that have facilitated Jerí’s election as Speaker of Congress, has exploited institutions to weaken the judiciary and shield itself from potential convictions, a concern that seems credible when considering the Rolexgate scandal and the pending accusations of corruption and sexual assault against Jerí. Undermining the judiciary means compromising its independence, threatening the rule of law and the freedoms it upholds. As a result, the presidents’ efforts over the last two years have appeared both inadequate and ineffective.
A deep crisis evidenced by the data
According to Le Monde, extortion cases have increased by 540% since 2022, while Ap News reports that between January and August of this year, there have been 6,041 homicides, three times more than last year and ten times higher than 2017. Jerí will remain in office until July 26, 2026, but presidential and legislative elections are already scheduled for April: it remains difficult to predict how the situation will evolve, but it is clear that the systemic problem of crime in Peru requires a drastic change of course, which must begin within the institutions themselves and the country’s leadership.
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