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Peru is under an elaborate anti-systemic project of violent attacks. Planned and coordinated by the network of threats from the national and regional extreme left (with Bolivia’s Evo Morales as the spearhead).
The arrival of Pedro Castillo and his associate Vladimir Cerrón (former governor of the Junín region) and their internal and external controllers to the highest national political office in July 2021 only contained extremism by calculation. They had to appear to respect representative democracy, but at the same time, they were undermining it.
The dangers, however, still remain. After removing Castillo from power after an attempted self-coup in December 7, 2022 are increasingly inciting violent scenarios, leaving in a bad position those who perhaps believed in them, or were manipulated for political purposes. Not all those who protest are, of course, terrorists, criminals or vandals.
The contradictory support of the Ashaninka to the pro-supporter Castillo
An example of such manipulation is the one that was executed on a very small group of Ashaninka Indians (central jungle of Peru); this has a highly symbolic effect.
Are the indigenous people aware that they are supporting the impunity of a coup leader considered the political heir of the terrorist group Shining Path? Have they forgotten how the savage Maoism of Abimael Guzman (founder of Shining Path) assaulted them in the past in a genocidal way?
That this group of Ashaninka do not know or do not understand that the Castillo regime meant the vindication of the Shining Path (via its political arm Movadef), can only be explained by an impressive lack of information or memory. Or, with the same degree of error, believing that the great solutions to the pending national problems will come from the political and ideological schemes that the anti-democratic, statist and polarizing leftists put forward.
It is crucial, therefore, that new wills or organizations that compete electorally collect the frustrated expectations (especially due to the action of an almost failed and venal State) to give them a way out within the democratic margins and with the impulse of inclusive economic growth. The system is perfectible and the Constitution can be reformed (punctually in its political part), but it is not necessary to bet on its total destruction to advance in the path of development with liberties.
Political violence planned
At this juncture, it is important to emphasize that peaceful mobilizations are essential in a free and democratic political system. Unfortunately, those who understand this are sometimes overtaken by the coordinated whipping boys. This is what we are seeing today.
The violence designed and organized in Peru is mimicking that deployed in other countries in the region where the illiberal left lost power or tried to seize it the hard way. On the domestic front, the Shining Path and other actors such as drug traffickers and illegal miners perpetrate growing tactics of urban terrorism in addition to vandalism. Not recognizing it, not saying it, is a mistake.
Let us hope that the majority of Peruvians who reject violence will demonstrate more and more. Silence must not dominate.
We must remember that the enemies of freedom grow under the shadow of lukewarmness. And furthermore, the inaction or lack of firmness of the institutions and the rule of law nourishes every day the political and criminal power plans of rogues and tyrants.
Political analyst and columnist focused on issues of risk and political conflict, radicalization and violent political extremism // Analista político y columnista enfocado en temas de riesgo y conflictos políticos, radicalización y extremismo político violento