PERÚ
— Also: Piruw.
— Officially: República del Perú; Piruw Mama Llaqta; Piruw Suyu.
— Seat of government: Lima.
— Status: Democratic.
— Structure: The president is elected directly. The legislature (Congreso) is elected by party-list proportional representation within multi-member districts.
— Heads of government: Francisco Sagasti Hochhausler, president (since 2020); Violeta Bermúdez Valdivia, prime minister (since 2020).
— Congessional parties: Perú Libre; Fuerza Popular; Renovación Popular; Acción Popular;
Alianza para el Progreso del Perú; Avanza País; Juntos por el Perú; Somos Perú; Podemos Perú; Partido Morado.
— Recent history: Democracy was restored in 2001 with the election of Alejandro Toledo (2001-6), who led the opposition to autocrat Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), who was originally elected democratically. Toledo’s presidency was troubled and erratic, with inadequate support in Congress. A presidential election to replace Toledo went to a runoff between Ollanta Humala of the Partido Nacionalista Peruano (and Unión por el Perú) and Alan García (1985-90, 2006-11) of the Partido Aprista Peruano, which García won. In 2011, Humala (2011-6) ran again, and defeated Keiko Fujimori, Alberto’s daughter, in a runoff. In 2015, Ana Jara (PM 2014-5) was removed by censure of the legislature. In the 2016 elections, Fujimori placed first, but lost in a runoff to Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-8); her Fuerza Popular won a majority in the Congreso on 36% of the popular vote. Kuczynski faced impeachment proceedings in 2017 but FP dissidents blocked the impeachment, reportedly in return for releasing Alberto Fujimori, who was promptly pardoned and released. The next year Kuczynski was implicated in a bribery scandal and resigned. Vice president Martín Vizcarra (2018-20) became president; Alberto Fujimori’s pardon was rescinded. In 2020, Vizcarra dissolved the Congreso; in the snap elections that followed, FP lost most of its seats, and the largest party, Acción Popular, got less than a fifth of seats. Vizcarra was impeached twice in late 2020, being removed from office the second time, on grounds of “moral incapacity”. He was replaced by the president of the Congreso, Manuel Merino, who resigned five days later following protests over Vizcarra’s impeachment. Merino was then replaced by Sagasti, who had been elected president of Congreso in the meantime. A presidential election in 2021 went to a runoff between Pedro Castillo and Fujimori, which Castillo won very narrowly. His party, Perú Libre, also finished first in congressional elections.
— FH: 2-3, free. Econ: 6.31 (70), flawed democracy.
— Updated: 2021 June 18.
O.T. FORD