The Carnegie Endowment report said the country was “beset by deep social and economic divisions – between those integrated into a market economy that privileges mining and hydrocarbon investment, and indigenous peoples who remain behind.” gone or damaged by
Image Credit source: AP/PTI
Events took a dramatic turn in Peru when, following his impeachment in an emergency meeting held by the country’s parliamentarians, Pres. pedro castillo that place dina boluarte Was elected as the first woman President of the country. After surviving two previous impeachment attempts, former President Castillo declared a state of emergency in the country in a televised address on Wednesday, replacing the democratically elected government with a ‘Special Emergency Government’. vowed declaration. Countries like America, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia have expressed concern over his announcement.
Following Castillo’s announcement, his prime minister and nine ministers of his cabinet as well as top army generals resigned in unison, after which Castillo was accused of a coup d’état by the head of the Constitutional Court and arrested by the police. Detained. Castillo and his family members were accused of corruption as well as interference in the country’s political and economic affairs, and were under investigation for several months.
emergency session called
An emergency session of Parliament was called on Wednesday, with 101 lawmakers voting in favor of impeaching Castillo, only six lawmakers opposing the move, and 10 abstaining. After being sworn in, only five Dina Boluarte, who became the country’s sixth president in 2012, asked for “precious time” to “save the country from corruption and misrule”, and in her first speech said, “I request a political truce to establish a government of national unity”. Am.”
years of political turmoil
This political upheaval is not a new thing for Peru. Since the collapse of the country’s party system in the 1990s, the country has grappled with political and economic uncertainty, and several presidents have been removed from office. Peru has been ruled by seven presidents since 2011, according to Reuters. while four former leaders face corruption charges; However, this South American country remained the fastest growing economy during this period. In 2020, three presidents ruled the country within nine days.
The Carnegie Endowment report said the country was “beset by deep social and economic divisions – between those integrated into a market economy that privileges mining and hydrocarbon investments, and indigenous peoples who remain behind.” have been lost or damaged by it.
The report continued, “The second is the regional divide – between a powerful and often neglectful Lima-based centre, and neglected provinces. These two divisions sometimes overlap, pitting the economically integrated Peruvians close to the center of power against those left behind economically and regionally.”
promises made, not kept
When Castillo came to power, he promised to raise taxes on the mining industry and introduce new social welfare programs and increased government spending. But once they came to power, they did not do any work in that direction. This year, government spending has decreased by about 5 percent. The political disqualification of Castillo, a former school teacher who was sworn in in June 2021, has sparked a chaotic administration in the South American country, with dozens of cabinet changes that have largely kept the government in a state of instability.
Earlier this year, there were massive protests and riots in the country against rising fertilizer and fuel prices. This is believed to be linked to economic stagnation due to job losses caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.Top credit rating agency Fitch downgraded Peru’s outlook to “negative” from “stable” in October , and Castillo’s ouster is likely to increase political uncertainty.
This government shake-up has deepened political instability in the country, and the country’s already troubled economy is likely to falter further. Disputes between the executive and legislative branches of government over corruption scandals, and tensions between pro-reform and anti-reform parties in the country could prolong this political instability.
: Language Inputs