Everything You Need to Know About Peru’s Political Crisis 

Peru, a country that’s used to political turmoil, has seen its worst outbreak of violence in years following the ouster and arrest of leftist President Pedro Castillo. Over the next five weeks, 40 of the protesters seeking his reinstatement were killed and one policeman burned to death. Behind the crisis lie both a deep urban-rural divide and a fragmented political system in which a string of presidents have faced impeachment, jail time for corruption or both. Many of the indigenous groups now blocking roads and seeking to take over airports saw Castillo as a rare voice speaking on their behalf.

A politically inexperienced former teacher representing a small radical-left party, Peru Libre, Castillo narrowly scraped into office in elections in 2021. In his short time in office, he was hobbled by his own missteps and stiff opposition from a congress dominated by conservatives. Accusations of corruption triggered two failed impeachment votes. On Dec. 7, just before a third impeachment trial was to begin, Castillo ordered Peru’s congress dissolved and said he would rule by decree for nine months before convening an assembly to write a new constitution. The reaction was swift: the police and the military refused to obey Castillo’s decision, most of his cabinet immediately quit, the constitutional court called his announcement a coup, the number of lawmakers backing his impeachment soared and he was voted out office within hours. Castillo was arrested as he tried to flee to the Mexican embassy.