Only Way for Castillo: Resist and Govern

Undoubtedly, the president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, will continue to face new attacks from the right wing, which tries to dismiss him through situations that lead him to vacancy due to alleged inability to govern, the use of the judicial apparatus in an attempt to incriminate him with false accusations of corruption and the questioning of appointing ministers who are accused without proof of being linked to the dismantled guerrilla movement.

No a day goes by in these few months of governance that does not bring for Castillo new evidence of the attempted defenestration by a legislature that is mostly adverse to him, and although so far the coup right has failed, it does not let him govern.

The president is aware that he must stabilize his left-wing government, without making concessions, while reaping its first fruits in regard to economic growth and the regularization of the struggle against the new coronavirus pandemic, thanks to the massive vaccination.

Surprising

The professor-turned-president has had achievements that he must consolidate in the course of this 2022, by achieving that 15% of the vaccinated population when he came to power, now exceeds 80% of those over 12 years of age, and in this month of January children began to be immunized from age five. The pandemic, with the threat of a new wave, will continue to be a main challenge.

The economic rebirth, which was the other great challenge at the beginning of his administration, has resulted in a 13% growth of the GDP in 2021, the highest in the region. For this year an increase of around 4% is estimated, also among the main ones in the area.

Despite these achievements, downsized by his enemies and overshadowed by its own shortcomings, the government has not been able to project a clear course and so far the great changes offered and expected remain to be seen.

OPINIONS

The Argentine newspaper Página12 spoke with analysts about the main challenges in 2022 for the harassed Castillo government, one of which, the former parliamentarian Alberto Acrianzan had perhaps the best opinion:

“To confront the extreme right-wing coup and irrational and the harassment of the media, which is impressive, the main challenge for Castillo is to govern and transform at the same time. The government must not only survive, it must initiate a process of change, and that implies having a cohesive and capable government team. The first thing Castillo must do is put order within his government and consolidate the left-wing alliance of the second round of elections and apply the program of changes that alliance proposed. Until now, he is governing half way through with that program, there are sparks, such as the launch of the second agrarian reform (a program to support small agricultural producers), but you don’t see a consolidated government with an image that is advancing in that program. Facing a hostile correlation of forces in Congress, Castillo must have a consolidated, serious left government, without internal conflicts, and on the basis of that consolidation and a solid alliance with the left-wing, which is the first thing, to seek alliances with sectors center-right; time will tell if this is possible”.

In the opinion of the also sociologist Silesio López, a university professor and columnist for La República newspaper, an alliance of Castillo beyond the left is urgent. “The first challenge for Castillo is to clearly define a practicable program of changes, which he doesn’t have now, and on that basis to build a correlation of forces from the left and the center to isolate the extreme right that seeks to remove him. Staying in government with a coup right is a challenge for Castillo; to achieve this, he must consolidate a center-left bloc with a clear program. I believe that there are sectors of the center and center right that can agree on a viable program of changes with the left! His greatest challenge is building and keeping a viable coalition. I think he is now correcting mistakes and going in that direction. He would have to launch a great mobilizing program, such as Zero Hunger, fundamental at this time when the income of the poor has dropped greatly”.

Of course, these are great challenges that Castillo must face despite the adverse situation that the coup right continues to throw his way, which could be void, fulfilling the changes he has promised in education, making further progress in the second agrarian reform, generating employment, putting forward a reform on the tax before a Congress that blocked one that raised taxes on the richest and the large mining companies favored by the steep prices of minerals, while at the same time having a foreign policy in line with a left-wing government.

NO FEAR

Despite the weaknesses mentioned, Castillo keeps a clean image in the face of unfounded accusations of corruption raised by the right, with the complicity of some reactionary judges and the media.

He stated that he doesn’t fear the intentions of a certain sector of Congress that seeks to remove him from office. From La Libertad, where he carries out official activities, he indicated that he will defend his title of head of state by working jointly with the people.

"I am not afraid of because I know how to work together with the people, therefore, comrades, I ask you to be vigilant of the budget that is given to the peoples," he highlighted, who has been participating together with his ministers in multiple activities.

Likewise, he assured that he will promote a norm so that citizens know how much is the budget that’s spent in each part of the country. He stressed that his government will be distinguished from previous mandates by its transparency in the public administration of the State.

"We are not going to be taught signs of transparency and honesty, we have learned them from our cradle and that’s why we come here," said Castillo, who had previously participated in the delivery of a cryogenic oxygen plant in Pacasmayo, in that region.

During the VI National Congress of Peasants recently held, he urged them to investigate his management once they establish an office in the Government Palace, he said:

"We have arranged that once the unity of the rounds is over and transparent, we are going to open an office next to the presidential office, so that you (rondeños) can see from there, not only to fight against the scourges of those who are outside, but so that you can control my government, so that you can see if I am putting the 'hands' there where they say that I’m stealing something from the country.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff