What is happening in Peru? What are the reasons behind it?

Around 40 people passed away in clashes between protesters and Peruvian security forces in the Andean country’s most extreme violence. This has been the worst case of violence in the past 20 years.

On-and-off protests since the year 2022 have been common in the Andean country after the failed motion to impeach Pedro Castillo, the former president.

This has been the deadliest protest till now, which commenced in the year 2022 post the ouster and arrest of Pedro Castillo.

What brought forward the protests?

On the seventh of December, Pedro Castillo, the then President was impeached by Congress. He was then arrested that very night. The cause of the arrests was a myriad of corruption allegations. These also included an attempted “coup. 

Earlier, the very same day, the military and civilian allies both deserted him on his effort to dissolve the Congress, but his last efforts to maintain his power went into vain. Since then, the president has been sentenced to a pre-trial detention on rebellion charges 18 months. 

One may find demonstrators blocking roads in Peru. People have stalled many of the airports in Peru. The closure of Machu Picchu has led to a huge decline in tourism

Talking about the impoverished areas in the south of Peru, roadblocks and demonstrations have gotten toughened. the area has witnessed deadly violence. The violence has led to the loss of over 50 lives. There have been accusations that the armed forces and police have used excessive force over the protestors. The deadliest day of violence in the south of Juliaca saw 17 deaths!

The coup

Castillo's move has been described as an attempted autogolpe (coup) by many.   Fujimori promised, in the same way, to temporarily dissolve the congress in the year 1992. Then, the chamber was surrounded by tanks as Fujimori assumed absolute power. The man arrested opposition leaders and journalists, along with arresting television stations and censoring newspapers. That began an autocratic regime that would last for around 10 years.

Castillo walked on the same path. However, his coup was comparatively farce. The autogolpe led Iván Lanegra to state that “Pedro Castillo was dictator for only two hours”.  Many called it a fitting end to a 17-month term havoc. The man churned through over 80 ministers. He is accused of corruption. The man has 6 continuous investigations by the nation's attorney general. 

As per Constitutional experts, Castillo's announcement was an illegal power grab.

What is expected to happen next?

Resources are low, and this would eventually lead the protests to die down. Prices already inflated for goods like cooking oil, wheat, cooking gas, vegetables, fuel, and other basic essentials. Roadblocks are another added concern.

However, while the protests will die down soon, the basic problems behind the protests will remain lingering. An abysmal bridge will stay between Lima and the remaining parts of the country. Moreover, a greater proportion of people feel sidelined by their institutions and are disappointed by the political class. 

Peruvians are actually united in their dislike toward congress, which is mainly accused of massive corruption.

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