aAfter a turbulent week in which Peru saw three presidents – and a brutal police response to pro-democracy protests – a nascent youth movement emerged with a clear message for the country’s politicians.
“They messed up with the wrong pay generation” Under this annoying cry, the non-partisan group is warning elected representatives of Peru that they will not return to the normal world like the business of dirty tricks and backroom deals.
The bottom-up movement on Tuesday claimed another victory, when acting president Francisco Sagasti announced a reshuffle of the police force, appointed a new police chief and fired more than a dozen top brass officers.
In a televised address to the nation, Sagasti also expressed his “grief” over the massive police crackdown in which two youths were killed and others seriously injured. He has also apologized for incidents in which police insulted young women, alleging that they were forced to wear a naked bandage.
But the 76-year-old engineer and his career government have to draw a fine line between the newly awakened, social media-driven, political movement and maintaining legitimacy with the opposition-ruled Congress, which could use impeachment powers to oust him, as the former president Done with Martin Vizcara.
Diego Cruz, a 33-year-old public writer, was one of thousands of Peruvians who marched against the “rebel-fighters” who voted 105-15 to remove Vizcara amid allegations of unsolicited bribery.
“It simply came to our notice then. It’s not everyone, because we’re outraged. [congress] He has shaped the country. ‘
“People are no longer afraid,” said Erica Rios, a 47-year-old lawyer who wears the Peruvian flag in red and white. “This Congress does not represent us.”
Kenneth Roberts, a professor of Latin American politics at Cornell University, said Peru’s political class was surprisingly taken in by the pro-democracy protests.
“It also sends a powerful warning signal against the abuse of power by the impeachment of Congress, which is at the center of the current crisis.” “Like the Brazilian and Paraguayan legislatures, the Peruvian Congress ‘made’ the impeachment tool for transparent self-serving political goals – and stood up to hold Peruvian society accountable.”
According to a recent poll by the Peruvian Study Institute, 9 out of 10 Peruvians opposed the expulsion of Vizcara, and 83% believe that the decision to do so was motivated by the political and personal interests of legislators.
Peru’s citizens have long regarded their elected representatives as a mixture of fear and disgust.
“More than [political] The parties think they are like a cartel, “said Ivin Lenegra, secretary general of Transparency International’s Peruvian chapter. “What you have is a collection of parties that take all parties to control state resources and public functions while promoting their own interests.”
The chamber includes figures such as Posemoscrot Chagua – who took part in a deadly uprising in 2005 in which six police officers were killed – and Fernando Melindez, a former regional governor who has faced more than 80 crimes, including embezzlement, money laundering and labor exploitation. Was.
Chagua’s party, the extremist union for Peru (UPP), will lead a coalition to oust Vizcara. Founded by Antoro Humala, younger brother of the failed 2005 military coup leader and former President Olanta Humala (2011 the-1 2011), the party is inspired by the radical “ethnocasis” sect of his father, Isaac Humala, who preaches superiority. “” Xenophobic hatred of the Andes and Peru’s southern neighbor Chile.
The congressional mixed bag also includes powerful individuals affiliated with the fundamentalist Christian party and the for-profit university sector.
Before he was ousted, Vizcarra’s government was shifting the quality-control of private education – a reform that directly affected the business interests of Caesar Aqua, founder of Podemos (We Can) and a former presidential candidate. Alliance for Progress (Application) Both their parties voted to remove Wizkara.
Luna was arrested just two days before Vizkara’s removal, without enough voter signatures, on charges of bribing officials to register his party. Higher education regulators are shutting down Telesup University in Luna for failing to meet basic standards.
University reform was an important factor in drawing young people to march against the departure of Wisconsin, said Ricardo Cuenca, who was sworn in as interim education minister last week.
“Until recently, we thought young people were fully connected to politics,” said Cuenca, a former director of the Institute for Peruvian Studies.
“I think like what happened in Chile, they’re showing us, that they’re disconnected from the old way of doing politics.”
