Anti-Government Protests Resume in Peru

Facts

• On Wednesday, anti-government demonstrations erupted again across Peru. This comes two weeks after a wave of deadly clashes ensued following the ousting of former President Pedro Castillo.
• In Lima, police reportedly used tear gas to disperse protesters moving toward the headquarters of Peru's Congress. Thousands of protesters demanded current President Dina Boluarte's resignation, the shutdown of Congress, constitutional amendments, and Castillo's release.
• By early evening, clashes with police blocking access to Congress had reportedly subsided, with authorities reporting 35 protest blockades across the country. In December, violent clashes between police and protesters left nearly two dozen dead.
• Boluarte, Peru's first female president, took office on Dec. 7 after left-leaning Castillo was impeached and arrested for attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree. During his 18 months in office, the former rural school teacher and union leader faced criminal investigations on corruption charges.
• Last week, Castillo stated at a detention appeal hearing that he did not commit rebellion, conspiracy, and other alleged crimes. During his 18-month pretrial detention, he has claimed to be the victim of "political revenge" by his opponents.
• Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Boluarte called for "peace, order, and tranquility," emphasizing that she took charge of the interim government based on a constitutional mandate. She pledged that the casualties during the Dec. 2022 protests would be investigated.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters, France24, Telesur English, and Andina.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Eurasia Review. With his plans for a program of wide-ranging political and social reforms in favor of the poor population that voted for him, leftist Castillo was a thorn in the side of the far-right establishment with its neo-liberal agenda. From his first day as president, the country's oligarchic rulers declared war on him in the name of "anti-communism" and eventually removed him from power by destabilizing his government. The protests are an expression of the poor population's frustration with the ruling elite that controls what is, on paper, a democratic Peru.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Washington Post. From day one, chaos and incompetence plagued the Castillo administration. And while Castillo portrayed himself as a champion of the poor, his rule was based on partisan interests and corruption. It is testimony to a healthy democratic spirit, and to Peru's constitutional resilience, that Castillo's attempted coup failed. However, to overcome the population's growing frustration with the chronically dysfunctional political apparatus, Boluarte will now have to deliver by tackling deep structural reforms to overhaul the system.