Peru’s Democratic Dysfunction
Foreign AffairsJan 20, 2023
On Sunday, Peruvian authorities imprisoned former Pres. Alejandro Toledo hours after he landed in the capital Lima. He was in the custody of Interpol officers following extradition from the US.
The 77-year-old, who was president between 2001 and 2006, has been ordered to serve a pre-trial detention of 18 months inside a police base on the outskirts of Lima, where former presidents Alberto Fujimori and Pedro Castillo are also being held.
Peru has been trying to rebuild its democracy over the last two decades but still struggles to elect a government that can operate without corruption. The struggle against political corruption requires a strong judiciary, stable party structures, strict enforcement of anti-corruption strategies, and control over illegal and foreign financing of presidential elections — all currently lacking in Peru.
The fact that Peru has already had seven presidents since 2016 speaks volumes about the country's political situation. However, there's a reason for optimism for Peruvian democracy if structural reforms are implemented to put the country on a sound institutional footing. Peru holds its leaders accountable for crimes committed against its democratic institutions.
There is a 50% chance that Peru's GDP per capita (PPP) will be at least 20.2K in 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.