(Photo Credits: Ernesto Benavides AFP)
By Juan Ignacio Chávez
In the midst of popular rejection, Manuel Merino has illegally replaced President Martín Vizcarra, dismissed on Monday, November 9 for “permanent moral incapacity” after an expeditious vote in Parliament. According to specialists, this measure would be unconstitutional since the charges Vizcarra is accused of are not included in the grounds for presidential vacancy according to the constitution.
On the one hand, Martín Vizcarra had lost popularity due not only to a poor performance against Covid-19 but also to his support to large companies with loans from the “Reactiva Perú” program. In the same vein, the Congress had initiated a so-called impeachment process last September due to the “Swing” case, where US$ 50,000 has been awarded to Richard Cisneros —an unknown singer— to offer motivational talks to officials of the Ministry of Culture.
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On the other hand, Martín Vizcarra had enhanced State reform in various ways: in the 2018 referendum, for example, it was determined that Congress representatives would not be reelected and that individuals prosecuted for corruption could not aspire to legislative positions. Likewise, Vizcarra had defended and promoted the National Superintendency of Higher University Education (Sunedu), a technical body attached to the Ministry of Education, with administrative and financial independence, which had started the long-waited educational reform in the country.
Over half of the representatives who voted in favor of removing Vizcarra are currently being investigated by the judicial system. Antauro Humala, leader of Unidos por el Perú (UPP) and one of the main promoters of the coup, is a former military man sentenced to 19 years in prison. José Luna Gálvez from Podemos Peru is the owner of Telesup University, which was closed by Sunedu for failing to meet quality standards. Only one day after Vizcarra‘s replacement, the Education Commission of the Congress has scheduled a meeting for the modification of the “Ley de Universidades”.
More than a response to the alleged – and always possible – responsibility of Martín Vizcarra, it seems that the reaction of the representatives is rather related to how these reforms affect their interests. It is, therefore, not only a coup, but a conservative coup: against the reform of the State.
After Merino‘s presidency speech, protests have started in different cities of Peru, the most massive in Lima, where 600 policemen threw tear gas canisters to disperse the people. According to IDL Reporteros, several people have been injured by pellets. So far, no government in the region has recognized Merino‘s presidency, and Amnesty International has urged the “Peruvian authorities to immediately stop the repression of the demonstrations and guarantee the rights of all people.”
