On 26 November, a criminal court convicted former President Martín Vizcarra of accepting bribes and sentenced him to 14 years in prison. The case concerns the Lomas de Ilo and Moquegua Hospital development projects, carried out by the construction company Obrainsa. According to the court’s ruling, during his tenure as governor of the Moquegua region, Vizcarra received PEN 1 million (approximately USD 680,000) from Obrainsa through fictitious contracts. In addition to the prison term, he was fined and barred from holding public office for nine years. Vizcarra maintains his innocence, alleging that the prosecution is politically motivated (his brother, Mario Vizcarra, is running for president in 2026 and he himself unsuccessfully sought a vice-presidential bid). His attorney has filed an appeal.

Sources:  La Republica, BBC, El Pais

Peru’s Supreme Court has convicted former President Pedro Castillo of conspiracy to commit rebellion, sentencing him to more than 11 years in prison for his December 2022 attempt to dissolve Congress, rule by decree, reorganize the Prosecutor’s Office and the judiciary, including the Constitutional Tribunal, and the National Board of Justice. Castillo was acquitted of rebellion, abuse of authority, and serious disturbance of public order, but found guilty of conspiracy. Former heads of the Council of Ministers Aníbal Torres and Betssy Chávez, along with former Interior Minister Willy Huerta, were also convicted of the same charge. In addition to his prison sentence, Castillo was declared ineligible to hold public office for two years and, together with the other former officials, ordered to pay approximately USD 3 million in compensation.

Sources: La República, El Comercio, Infobae, El Pais, France 24, International IDEA

On 10 October, Congress removed Dina Boluarte from the office of President, on the grounds of ‘permanent moral incapacity’ pursuant to Article 113 of the Constitution. Boluarte’s approval ratings were significantly low throughout her presidency, hovering around 3 per cent more recently. Boluarte, who replaced former president Pedro Castillo after he was ousted for attempting to dissolve congress in December 2022, faced demands by protesters that she resign and call for early general elections since the beginning of her administration. More recent anti-government protests pointed to her administration’s inability to curb the insecurity crisis, including extortions and high murder rates. Corruption scandals and inquiries into protesters’ deaths between December 2022 and early 2023 further marred Boluarte’s presidency. José Jerí, president of the legislature, was sworn in by Congress as Boluarte’s interim successor, until new elections are held in April 2026 and the next president takes office in June that year.

Sources: El Peruano, El Comercio, La República, AP, NY Times, BBC, International IDEA, International IDEA, International IDEA

Large anti-government protests took place on 15 and 25 October, with protesters demanding the resignation of newly elected President José Jeri and members of Congress. Thousands of people, mostly in Lima but also in other regions, demonstrated against government inaction on corruption, abuse of authority, and persistent violent crime. During the 15 October mobilizations, a protester was reportedly killed by a member of the security forces, and inquiries into the death are underway. Jeri, who has signalled that he will take a hardline approach to curbing insecurity, decreed a state of emergency on 22 October, allowing the government to suspend certain rights, including freedom of movement and assembly, in Lima and Callao for 30 days.

Sources: CNN, BBC, Infobae, AP

Peru’s top prosecutor, Delia Espinoza, asked the Supreme Court to declare the Fuerza Popular (FP) party illegal. Espinoza asked that the party be excluded from next year’s general elections and its registration be cancelled. The request argued that the party, a legacy of Fujimorismo (the political movement of former president Alberto Fujimori) participated in anti-democratic acts, which is prohibited in the Political Organizations Law. It elaborated that the party legitimized the used of violence to intimidate public servants, civil society and journalists. FP is the party with the greatest number of representatives in Congress. Its leader, Keiko Fujimori, rejected the accusations as politically motivated, questioning the prosecutor’s impartiality (the prosecutor’s office has constitutional autonomy). The Constitutional Chamber will decide on the issue of the party’s registration.

Sources: El Comercio, La Republica (1), Infobae (1), La Republica (2), Infobae

In September, youth groups mobilized protests against the government and a recent reform to the pension system. The latter introduced changes requiring self-employed workers to contribute to private pension administrators—the private financial entities that manage the funds—and restricts, for those under 40, access to one of the current options, which is that a worker can choose to receive 95 per cent of their accumulated funds upon retirement instead of receiving a monthly pension. Though Congress had walked back the changes after public outrage, the demonstrations continued, with young people—also known as ‘Gen Z’—expressing frustration with decision-making affecting their future. More broadly, demonstrators demanded the government take action to curb insecurity and end corruption. Public transit operators and bus drivers, who have been raising alarms for over a year about the increasing extortion and violence they face, joined the protests. Clashes between demonstrators and police resulted in at least 18 injured, mostly protesters, and further reports of injuries among journalists and police officers.