-With an Executive investigated for alleged corruption and a Legislative disrupting reforms, is there any way out of this crisis other than for everyone to leave?
“A complex question. We must start from the basic premise of recognizing that the Government was democratically elected, and it is something that is forgotten above all by those who allege unproven fraud; and that the Congress he was also democratically elected. But, a year following the election of both, we do not see any significant attempt, by either, to generate positive measures for the country, quite the contrary. As you mention, in Congress is what has to do with the rollback of structural reforms, Call it the university reform or remove what is linked to the gender approach from the educational curriculum; and, on the government side, the appointments and corruption investigations once morest the president. In this context, it is very difficult to think of solutions that are not the end of both powers, since neither seems to really have an amending purpose. In addition, neither of them seems to have the desire to leave power, and even less to try to do so from a constitutional perspective, which reinforces institutionality and democracy.
“What way out?”
—Every time there is a greater clamor for everyone to leave, but I don’t see much desire from anyone to make a structural reform, change, or find real solutions to the crisis. What many of us feel and the surveys reflect it, is that there is a situation of status quo and impossibility of improvement, that, in the event that they all leave, the question that many ask themselves is: what comes next? Let’s imagine that the president is vacated or leaves in some way and the elections are brought forward for all: if the political parties continue with the same structure, it is most likely that similar models will be reproduced with the results we have had so far. In addition, there is an element that should not be lost sight of and that is that many people outside Lima who feel identified with the figure of the president, although I do not think they will make a massive march to defend him, they might feel that prematurely removing him from power might affect them. , and are unwilling to support that movement, especially since it is being pushed by those who have been oppressing them. I think, for example, of what happened with the congresswoman Maria del Carmen Alva: Imagine that by article 115 he had assumed the Presidency following a vacancy, and had treated everyone like Congresswoman Cortez. It makes us think if those are the leaders we want if Pedro Castillo leaves. That makes it difficult to think of a way out of this political moment that is coming back, but it has worsened in the last year.
—It seems like a dead end, because neither Castillo will resign nor Congress wants to leave…
—And they’re not going to vacate it either. Now there would be more elements than in 2020 (with Vizcarra), but it is a force of votes, and the president has achieved a little more than 44 votes so as not to be vacated. It seems legitimate to me that you do not want to leave, but you should do so with the aim of fighting for the rights of all, especially those who need the most, but this government does not seem to be giving signs of this, but rather of generating precarious alliances with some congressmen and groups , but without structural reform or concrete measures. The issue of fertilizers is one of the most worrying because it can cause shortages in the country. The contest to buy it has just fallen for the third time, and it does not seem that the Government really takes into account the impact that this may have, especially on people with fewer resources, who are the ones who are going to live the consequences of the shortage of food by not being able to pay what it implies to acquire products. I do not feel that the Government acts urgently in things like this, although, in theory, a government of the people should be concerned with correcting or preventing.
—This will be felt next year. Could that motivate people to mobilize and advance elections?
—There are two issues that can change the scenario. One might be the shortage, which reaches a level that makes subsistence very difficult, but it will depend on how the Government handles the issue, since it has begun to give populist measures such as the increase in pensions, which is not bad in itself, but it is not a structural solution. It will depend on how much people feel that these problems are the fault of the Government for his inaction, but if he can sell the narrative that everything depends on external factors, he might spare himself a massive outcry. And the other thing that can have an effect is the progress of research (on Castillo and his or her environment). Although many sectors believe that there is bad faith once morest the president, if the circle of investigations closes more, as is apparently happening, with his sister-in-law and some people close to him, it might be easier for some congressmen to change their perception and are in favor of the vacancy, or that people start reacting to this. Although it will be very difficult for the street to heat up, because the left was the one who has generally fought for social demands, but there is a sector of it that still feels that it must defend the president from attacks, often unintelligent, from the right. If we had a better opposition, more Democratic people would feel more legitimate to go out and march, but with people who don’t have Democratic credentials, one feels more reluctant to support them.
—Castillo says he doesn’t like a farmer to be in the Palace and that’s why they persecute his family. Is there enough evidence to dictate the preliminary arrest of his sister-in-law?
—If there is a video in which a person appears offering government works, it deserves an investigation. The president cannot say that this is only the product of the press or the bad Prosecutor’s Office. Investigating him is not bad, nor is he a coup plotter.
