Source: PBS News Hour
From Opuis Dei devotees to radio show hosts to soccer players, Peru has a wide variety of Presidential candidates for the upcoming April 2021 elections, and it is bound to be a spectacular showdown. This is not to say, however, that Peruvian politics have been safe from scandals, as the nation roared in disorder for much of the previous presidential term.
The 2016 elections started with a toe gripping competition between Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori and congresswoman Susana Higuchi. Alberto Fujimori himself had a tumultuous experience as president. He was the founder of the political ideology fujimorismo which supports social conservatism and neoliberal economics. This party is deeply distrustful of socialism, democratic liberalism, and the overall leftist movement. Alberto Fujimori was facing severe corruption charges in 2000, and he therefore left Peru for Japan and attempted to resign his position as president through fax. Nevertheless, congress did not approve his resignation rather starting an impeachment process. He was removed from office and was later sentenced to six years in prison for corruption charges, and then in 2009 he was convicted of human rights violations for his involvement in the killings and kidanappings by the Grupo Colina death squad during the country’s fight against leftist guerrilla groups, namely the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, from 1990 to 1994. It is believed that the Grupo Colina also systematically killed and silenced people that opposed Alberto Fujimori, going much farther than simply fighting a guerrilla war. Then president Alberto Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Keiko Fujimori attempted to distance herself from her father’s crimes as she started her political career, but she was consistently an advocate for his release. She also was the leader of the Popular Force political party which represented her father’s beliefs summarized in the fujimorism ideology. In 2006, she became the most voted congresswoman in Peru’s history, but following her father’s ardent scandal she opted for accepting the status quo in the congress for the time being. As her popularity started growing she decided to run against Ollanta Humala in the 2011 elections. She lost the election, but decided to run again this time in the 2016 elections in which she was the strongest contender against Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. Kuczynski is a Peruvian economist who became involved in the country’s politics as Minister of Energy and Mines, later to extend his role in 2005 with his role as Prime Minister, the leader of the council of ministers. Only by 41,438 votes, Kuczynski won the election, but it did not last long. According to The Guardian, before Kuczynski’s scandal, Peru was one of the most stable economies in Latin America, but only two years after he was sworn into office Kuczynski offered his resignation as video evidence of his involvement in the Odebrecht corruption scandal emerged. In a speech announcing his resignation, Kuczynski said, "I've worked for nearly 60 years of my life with complete honesty… Faced with this difficult situation... I think it is best for the country if I resign from the presidency of the republic." He continues to deny all charges, but the country’s focus immediately shifted to the immediate problem. They needed to swear in a new president. Martin Vizcarra was sworn in as president on March 23rd, 2018, but not for long. Vizcarra was a strong centrist who has adopted an anti-corruption campaign making him well-loved by the public, but not extremely popular in the eyes of congress given that it is controlled by the Popular Force party. In 2020 Peru was hit with one of the worst waves of COVID-19 globally, and as the economy became increasingly unstable, the political party followed suit. Vizcarra was bombarded by corruption charges stating that he accepted bribes of around $569,457. He quickly denied the charges, but Manuel Merino, the president of congress and next in line to president if Vizcarra was hypothetically impeached, began pressuring to remove him. Congress ended up voting to remove Vizcarra with 105 out of 130 lawmakers pushing him to step down through two vacancy requests . It was now Manuel Merino’s turn to take office, but tensions continued to escalate. Given that many Peruvian citizens supported Vizcarra, Merino’s appointment as interim president led to huge protests just one week after he was sworn in. An IPSOS poll found that 78% of Peruvians opposed Vizcarra's impeachment given that “Congress should be focused on the coronavirus pandemic and the economy — not trying to remove the president,” as stated in the Financial Times. The protests resulted in the death of three people and more than 90 injured, and to top it all off, Merino quit. Sagasti was then appointed by congress and has remained in office to this day.
Through the course of five years Peru had four presidents, numerous protests, and has become one of the most hard hit countries by the pandemic. Now, with elections, six new candidates have taken the stage and are revving their campaign engines. Yonhy Lescano is leading in the polls as he represents the Popular Action party. He started his career as a radio host and a lawyer, but shifted into politics in 2000 when he became a part of Congress. His ideologies are defined as populist, and he is focusing on a more effective and efficient management of Peru’s mining revenue. Peru is the world second largest provider of Copper and their mining industry is growing to such an extent that it is rivaling that of Chile. He also advocates to reduce energy prices and build a natural gas pipeline in collaboration with Bolivia. George Forsyth is in a close second as he represents the National Victory party. He used to be a part of Peru’s soccer team and was also a reality TV participant. He is extremely in favor of incentivizing business in the region and has become the representative of the youth given that he is one of the youngest candidates. Nevertheless, some are worried because he is yet to announce specific plans and some say that this is an early sign of inexperience. The Popular Renewal Candidate is Rafael Lopez Aliaga, and he advocates to reduce the size of the government. He started out extremely weak in the polls, but starting in January he experienced quick growth in his poll numbers. Lopez Aliaga is extremely conservative, and is in favor of making abortion illegal while also condemning same-sex marriage. He is a devout participant of the Opus Dei Catholic group and has made public his inclination towards corporal punishment and restriction in the name of the Lord. He is also extremely vocal about his disapproval of Vizcarra and Sagasti holding the belief that deregulation for businesses and private entities extremely close to his heart. In a full circle moment, Keiko Fujimori has also announced her candidacy for the presidential position. In between her presidential campaigns, Fujimori has been detained in pretrial two times given that several accusations of her involvement in money laundering scandals have become pervasive in the media. She is not in jail, but new charges of money laundering emerged on March 11th and prosecutors are looking to enact a sentence of thirty years. The only supporter of legalizing abortion and same-sex marriage is Veronika Mendoza, the most progressive of the contenders. This is her second campaign for presidency, and she represents the Together for Peru party, promising to rewrite the constitution and also create a new pension system. Finally, the last of the most popular candidates is Daniel Urresti, representing the We Can Peru party. He is in favor of growing Peru’s police force and also ran for president in 2016. An unexpected taint in his resume is his involvement in a 1988 murder of a journalist. He was charged but acquitted three years ago, a measure that was overturned by the Supreme Court, therefore he is currently on trial. Congress seats are also up for grabs. Martin Vizcarra has previously dissolved congress, but elections in January 2020 reinstated it, adding an important variable in the political environment. History has proven that a good relationship between the president and the congress is vital for sustainability and efficacy.
Peru’s politics have been a roller coaster. From corruption to illegalities to endless disputes, the country has had to suffer much uncertainty and change. The upcoming elections are pivotal and will lock in place Peru’s future. As the country tackles the pandemic and attempts to start rolling out vaccines, Peru needs a president that will rule with honesty and transparency, prioritizing the people over the politics and power. Tense days are to follow for Peruvians, and on April 11th, a glimpse of the next five years will finally come to light.
Written By: Carolina Mejia Rodriguez
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