Representatives of the main Congressional parties are currently meeting to decide who will take over an interim government from the Usurper Merino. The way out of the constitutional mess created by the bloodless-now-bloody coup gone wrong is for the Usurper to resign today (he has no choice), then the Presidency is taken over by a member of Congress who didn’t vote to throw out ex-President Vizcarra on Monday.
With two student protesters dead, over 100 in hospital due to police brutality during the march last night, 13 of 18 cabinet ministers resigned and a Congress that holds all the power and is using it to stop its members for being arrested on multiple corruption charges, Peru finds itself in one of those South American legal vacuums Argentina found itself in 20 years ago. We’re about to get a third President in less than a week and it wouldn’t surprise in the least to find the end of next week with a fourth, as on Wednesday the courts may give Vizcarra his job back again. There are even chances of seeing the Usurper Merino trying to escape by helicopter, too. Interesting times.
UPDATE Sunday midday Peru time: Merino has just resigned (no choice), but the political stupidity continues. The people trying desperately to hold onto control and avoid jail on corruption charges (aka two thirds of the Current congress) have called a debate starting at 6pm to choose a replacement interim President. This late start to a debate that surely needs a result before the sun goes down isn’t just lazy, it’s criminal. The streets of city centres around the country will now fill again with students, the potential for further violence in the country just shot higher. We are witnessing a full-scale changing of the generational guard in Peru, interesting times.
UPDATE 2: Democracy junkies might want to keep an eye on the streets of Lima tonight, we’re set for one of those generational change moments. The march on Congress today Sunday promises to be massive and it’s all driven by the young generation, sick and tired of being abused by fatcat corrupt politicos. They want them all out and that may just happen.
What a mess. There was a time that we (those outside S.A) could look with contempt on these South American regimes and wonder why the people put up with it. Thanks to Trump that all changed. He showed that dictators and despots exist everywhere and once you let them in its almost impossible to get them out. I’m thinking of all the ordinary people of Peru who just want to get on with their lives if only the government and those that want to govern would let them.
A mess indeed, but this is not about Orange Stupid. There are a million other places, under a post on Peru isn’t one of them.
No mentions of this on any of the first pages of the main news here in the West.
If I wouldn’t read this blog, I wouldn’t even know any of this was happening.
In Europe there is a tendency to only report on Brazil and Argentina, others seem to be irrelevant. Corruption seems to be the longlasting main theme though so nothing new there.