Political Situation in PERU

 

On 7 December 2022, former President Pedro Castillo attempted a coup, which generated the immediate response of the Congress and the national authorities in defense of democracy and the rule of law, declaring his vacancy and the assumption of Vice President Dina Boluarte as President, according to the rules of presidential succession included in our constitution. 

 

These events led to protest demonstrations in different cities of Peru, carried out by historically marginalized sectors of our population, with justified demands and expectations; but these legitimate demonstrations were infiltrated by organized groups that pursue other political objectives and the subversion of the democratic order, trying to force the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, the dissolution of the Congress of the Republic, the installation of a constituent assembly and the immediate call for new presidential and legislative elections.

 

It has become evident that those violent groups have the deliberate purpose of producing violence and attacking the lives of citizens and members of the security forces, instigating acts of violence and vandalism, such as attacks on police stations, offices of the Prosecutor and the Judiciary, airports, businesses, private homes and public transport vehicles, which have generated hundreds of millions in economic loses and endangered thousands of jobs, with the intention of subverting the constitutional order and the achievement of political goals to which they cannot access through constitutional channels.

 

Those acts resulted in the fatal loss of human lives, which the Peruvian Government deeply regrets. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated the investigation processes provided for in our legal system to establish the corresponding individual responsabilities.

 

Pursuant to an initiative of the Government, the Congress of the Republic has approved in first vote the reduction of the presidential term and the advancement of the elections to April 2024, which has to be confirmed in a second vote on February. Consequently, the Government of President Boluarte has a transitional character until the election of a new Congress and President.

 

Peru is a country committed to the promotion and protection of the human rights of its population, a fundamental pillar for democracy and the rule of law. Our State guarantees the free exercise of peaceful protest, differentiating it from acts of violence aimed to destabilizing the constitutional order.

 

In that context, the Government of Peru extended an invitation to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner (OHCHR) to follow the situation of human rights. In response, the IACHR carried out a visit between December 11th and 13th, (preceded by a preparatory technical mission) and the OHCHR did the same on January 19th and 20th. In both cases, the Peruvian State offered full support, transparency and all the facilities to contact authorities, representatives of civil society and victims of the unfortunate events.

 

Given the complex political and social situation, the Government of President Boluarte, in accordance with its international commitments and law of the Republic, ruled the following actions aimed at restoring order in the society and support civilians affected by protests and acts of violence:

 

1. Establishment of a Multisectoral Commission to care for the relatives of the deceased and those who suffered serious injuries during the mobilizations, which has been drawing up a preliminary list of people who could receive assistance and support.

 

2. Commitment of the Government in providing facilities to the Prosecutors´ Office, regarding the investigations of the damages of life, integrity and property, as a consequence of the protests and acts of vandalism.

 

3. Articulation of the different sectors of the Executive to deal immediately with the mobilizations and protests. Since the beginning, the ministers have traveled to the areas of conflict, not only to engage in a broad and inclusive dialogue with a human rights approach, but also to meet the immediate needs of those affected, as it was the case of the Ministry of Health before the events in Puno. The President has also ordered the strengthening of the dialogue offices of each sector of the Executive to build bridges and advance on the path of transparent and constructive understanding that implies the creation of a monitoring agreements mechanism, to achieve the development of each region. The Peruvian Government will not falter in its efforts to meet the legitimate citizen demands through the aforementioned dialogue platforms in a broad and inclusive framework.

 

The transitional government of President Boluarte will deploy its best efforts to undertake a process of national dialogue, with an intercultural and human rights approach, with the objective to reach an agreed solution to the difficult situation the country is going through.

 

This effort will seek to preserve the constitutional order and the rule of law, in order to meet the unsatisfied demands of the population, thus building the propitious scenario to move towards an orderly and democratic transition for the upcoming elections.

 

26/01/2023