Dozens killed in Peru government protests as unrest continues
CBSNov 25, 2022
The Facts
On Wednesday, anti-government demonstrations erupted again across Peru. This comes two weeks after a wave of deadly clashes ensued following the ousting of former Pres. Pedro Castillo.
In Lima, police reportedly used tear gas to disperse protesters moving toward the headquarters of Peru's Congress. Thousands of protesters demanded current Pres. Dina Boluarte's resignation, the shutdown of Congress, constitutional amendments, and Castillo's release.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
With his plans for a program of wide-ranging political and social reforms in favor of the poor population that voted for him, leftist Castillo was a thorn in the side of the far-right establishment with its neo-liberal agenda. From his first day as president, the country's oligarchic rulers declared war on him in the name of "anti-communism" and eventually removed him from power by destabilizing his government. The protests are an expression of the poor population's frustration with the ruling elite that controls what is, on paper, a democratic Peru.
Pro-establishment narrative
From day one, chaos and incompetence plagued the Castillo administration. And while Castillo portrayed himself as a champion of the poor, his rule was based on partisan interests and corruption. It is testimony to a healthy democratic spirit, and to Peru's constitutional resilience, that Castillo's attempted coup failed. However, to overcome the population's growing frustration with the chronically dysfunctional political apparatus, Boluarte will now have to deliver by tackling deep structural reforms to overhaul the system.
