Pedro Castillo Captured the Imagination of Peruvians Excluded for Decades

35 West

On July 28, Pedro Castillo Terrones, was inaugurated as Peru’s 63rd constitutional president. Castillo’s victory came after a highly contentious electoral process that was characterized by health and safety concerns due to the Covid-19 pandemic and false accusations of electoral fraud. Castillo ultimately won by 44,263 votes. In this episode, Margarita R. Seminario sat down with Dr. Jo-Marie Burt of George Mason University and discussed how a rural schoolteacher and union leader like Castillo captured the imagination of poor, rural, indigenous Peruvians who have lived excluded and marginalized for decades. Dr. Burt shared her insights on the recent elections, what to expect during the first 100 days of the Castillo administration, and she highlighted some policy concerns and recommendations for the US government regarding engagement with Peru.

Dr. Burt also recently published a book called “Transitional Justice in the Aftermath of Civil Conflict Societies: Lessons from Peru, Guatemala and El Salvador” found here: http://www.dplf.org/sites/default/files/pictures/transitional_justice_final.pdf