Pedro Castillo, proclaimed president of Peru 1:15
(Reuters) -
Peru finally has a new president after a tense and protracted electoral battle that left the socialist Pedro Castillo the winner, and the president-elect is now challenged to heal the wounds of a country where deep divisions have emerged.
Castillo, who will take office on July 28, was officially proclaimed president after defeating right-wing Keiko Fujimori by 44,000 votes, the daughter of imprisoned ex-president Alberto Fujimori who had blocked the announcement due to hundreds of contesting elections on June 6.
The president-elect was at the home of a relative on Tuesday in the Breña district of Lima, which woke up cordoned off by dozens of police and state security forces awaiting coordination for the transfer of power, sources close to the leader said. left.
Political leaders react to the proclamation of Pedro Castillo as president-elect of Peru
Pedro Castillo, from the Peru Libre party, celebrates after his proclamation as president-elect of Peru in Lima, on July 19, 2021. (Credit: GIAN MASKO / AFP via Getty Images)
Pedro Castillo's challenges in Peru
In addition to the challenge of facing the pandemic in Peru and reactivating the economy in the world's second largest copper producer, Castillo will have to make great efforts in pursuit of political stability, after Fujimori's call to initiate protests to "defend" democracy. because it considers - without further evidence - that it lost the elections "illegitimately."
International observers such as the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union, the Department of State of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have said separately that the elections in Peru were transparent.
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Castillo has received greetings and congratulations from various countries such as the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, among other governments in the region.
"We are going to reject any claim against any model from the other country, we Peruvians can, we will create true development and true economic development, guaranteeing legal and economic stability," Castillo said Monday night, in the face of criticism from his opponents who say that it would seek to copy leftist governments such as Venezuela or Cuba.
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Pedro Castillo and the useless revolutionary temptation
President-elect Pedro Castillo gives passionate speech 7:43
The socialist politician, unknown to the majority of the population until shortly before the elections, has not renounced his promise to seek a new Constitution that gives the State a greater role in the economy, a plan that has shaken the political elite and business of the mining country.
Castillo, in search of consensus
In his first message after his proclamation as president, Castillo told hundreds of his followers that the Constitution will be in force "until the people decide it."
"All the Peruvian people are happy, satisfied, because the people spoke, the people cried out, and Castillo is finally our president, the change of the Peruvian people is coming, the change of the Constitution is coming, no more poor, up Peru," he said. by Danny Castillo, a Castillo supporter on Monday night.
Local financial markets reacted on Tuesday with some skepticism and the currency, the Peruvian sol, depreciated 0.30% to 3.959 / 3.963 units per dollar.
Meanwhile, the benchmark of the Lima Stock Exchange rose 0.27%, to 485.10 units, with key mining papers rising.
Interim President Francisco Sagasti, who took office in November following the resignation of his predecessor, will hand over power to Castillo for a new five-year government when Peru commemorates the bicentennial of its independence.
Peru experienced one of the worst political crises in its history at the end of last year, with three heads of state, in a week after strong protests that left two dead, after a tough confrontation between Congress and the Executive.
A divided Congress
Castillo's relationship with the new Congress - again fragmented - will be key to translate his reforms.
The Marxist Peru Libre party that nominated Castillo will have 37 legislators out of the 130 members of the unicameral parliament.
The second strongest bloc in Congress will be Fujimori's Popular Force party with 24 seats.
Castillo has to negotiate with the other political groups of various ideologies, from the center, independents and even the conservative right.
It is Keiko Fujimori's third defeat, after losing the 2011 and 2016 elections. The politician faces a prosecution for money laundering after receiving allegedly illegal campaign contributions from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
For this case, in which the conservative denies the charges, the anti-corruption prosecutor's office has requested 30 years in prison.