Peruvians Worry That The Election Won't Stabilize The Country

Peruvians Worry That Election Won’t Stabilize the Country PERU Peru For years, Peruvians have elected a president only to see their leader ousted by Congress and often land in jail. In February, José Jerí became the 7th Peruvian president in a decade to leave office before completing a full term, ousted after he failed to disclose meetings with wealthy Chinese businessmen he was legally required to report. He had been in office for just four months, after assuming power following the impeachment of his predecessor Dina Boluarte in October amid public anger over soaring crime, harsh crackdowns on protesters and a corruption scandal known as Rolexgate. So it’s no surprise that as Peruvians prepare to go to the polls to select a president and members of their new Senate on April 12, most say that no matter whom they choose, it won’t make any difference: It won’t stop the rising violence perpetrated by criminal gangs, solve the country’s economic issues or improve services for the public, they add. “I’ve gotten used to this crisis, because we’re really in a crisis where Congress only dedicates itself to changing the president and looking out for their own well-being,” Javier Osorio, a self-employed worker in Lima, told Reuters. “They’re a bunch of criminals.” As a result, a majority of voters say they are undecided over the more than 30 candidates running in the race. None of the candidates are currently polling above 15 percent of the electorate. Still, polls show that right-wing candidates Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, has a slight lead over comedian Carlos Álvarez of the right-wing Country for All party, with Rafael López Aliaga, one of Peru’s richest men, trailing slightly behind. All three promise tough-on-crime policies and pro-market reforms. Left-leaning contender Alfonso López Chau, an economist and former university rector, is coming in fourth with about 6 percent and a campaign focused on government spending on services. Some analysts believe, however, that Peru may see a repeat of 2021, when far-left candidate Pedro Castillo surged to victory from near-zero support just weeks before the first round of presidential elections. To win outright, a candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the vote. If that doesn’t occur, the top two vote-getters advance to a June 7 runoff. And they believe that this surge will likely be in favor of “Porky” as Aliaga calls himself because of his round face and rosy cheeks, who says he wants to make Peru great again and save it from “lying, murderous and thieving” leftists. Aliaga says he will do that by expelling immigrants, slashing the government bureaucracy and spending, privatizing the state-owned oil company and sending criminals to the Amazon where they will be killed by snakes. He has also proposed allowing US forces to help Peru stop criminal gang operations. Even if Aliaga is elected, it’s not likely to solve Peru’s perennial political instability which is rooted in a steady erosion of institutional checks and balances since 2016, according to former finance minister Alfredo E. Thorne, writing in Americas Quarterly. He says that is when Congress assumed a dominant role, sidelining the constitutional separation of powers and asserting control over the executive, including the ability to install or remove presidents in ways that bypass safeguards meant to ensure a stable political landscape. Peruvians are now hoping that a constitutional change that will take effect this year, one that returns Peru to a bicameral legislature, will help. The existing 130-seat legislature will become the Chamber of Deputies and voters will elect a 60-seat Senate for the first time since 1992. Restoring the Senate could improve oversight and legislative quality, but its impact will depend on how politicians behave, analysts say. “Peru returns to bicameralism with pending issues and with political stability relying more on its politicians than on the reform,” wrote Latinoamérica21. As a result, some believe the election is a crossroads for the country. “Peru’s democracy is in a tough spot,” said an analysis by GIS Reports Online. “As the 2026 elections approach, the question is no longer who will be president, but whether the office itself still matters.”