‘People will no longer be afraid’: Young adults demand change | World News

AA turbulent week Peru saw three principals – and A brutal police retreat against massive pro-democracy protests – A new youth movement has emerged with a clear message to the country’s politicians.

Under the guise of “they messed with the wrong generation”, the non-partisan group has warned elected representatives in Peru that they will not tolerate the usual business-dirty tricks and backroom deals.

The grassroots movement demanded another victory on Tuesday, with the caretaker president, Francisco Chagasti, Announced the reshuffle of the police force, appointed a new police chief and fired more than a dozen senior brass officers.

In a televised address to the nation, Chagasti expressed his “deep grief” that two young men were killed and others were seriously injured. He apologized for incidents where police insulted young women.

But the 76-year-old engineer and his caretaker government must pave a good path between the newly awakened, social media-driven, political movement and the opposition-dominated Congress to maintain legitimacy and use the powers of indictment to remove him. It did with the former president Martin Wiscarra.

Diego Cruz, a 33-year-old advertiser Tens of thousands of Peruvians marched against the “conspirators.” He voted 105-19 to remove Viscar amid allegations of unproven bribery.

“It’s not just a generation marching here, it’s everyone, because we feel angry [congress] Carves the country, “he said.

Wearing the red and white colors of the Peruvian flag, 47-year-old lawyer Erica Rios said: “People are no longer afraid. “This conference does not represent us.”

Kenneth Roberts, a professor of Latin American politics at Cornell University, said the scale of the pro-democracy protests had taken the Peruvian political class by surprise.

“It sends a powerful warning sign against the abuse of Congress’ accusatory powers, which is at the heart of the current crisis,” he said. “Like the legislatures in Brazil and Paraguay, the Peruvian Congress has ‘armed’ an indictment for overt self-interested political goals – and the Peruvian community has risen to hold leaders accountable.”

Nine out of 10 adults oppose the expulsion of viscose, and 83% believe the decision to do so was motivated by the political and personal interests of lawmakers. Recent poll Peruvian Research Institute.

From murder to money laundering – more than half of those in the 130-member chamber have been experiencing parliamentary opposition from criminal investigations – the citizens of Peru have long regarded elected representatives with a mixture of fear and hatred.

“More than [political] The parties are like cartels, ”said Ivan Lanegra, general secretary of the Peruvian NGO Transparency. “What you have is a set of parties competing to control state resources and public works while the parties promote their own interests.”

The chambers include people like Bosmoscrot Sagua – six police officers killed in a terrorist uprising in 2005 – and former regional governor Fernando Melandes facing more than 80 faces Criminal investigations Including fraud, money laundering and labor exploitation.

Sakuwa’s party, the extremist union Peru (UPP), led to a call for the removal of Viscarra. Founded by Andro Humala, the prisoner of the failed 2005 military uprising and the younger brother of former President Hollande Humala (2011-16), the party is inspired by the radical “racist” religion of their father, Isaac Humala, and teaches superiority. “Copper Leather” “A hatred of Andes and Peru’s southern neighbors Chile.

Congress mixed bag, which includes A fundamentalist Christian party And powerful statistics linked to the nonprofit university department.

Before he was forced out of office, the government of Viscara undertook a change in the quality-control of private education – a reform that directly affected the business interests of Bodomos founder Jose Luna (we can) and former presidential candidate Caesar Acuna. Alliance for Progress (APP). Both their parties voted to remove Viscar.

Two days before Viscarra was ousted, Luna was arrested for allegedly bribing officials to register her party without enough voter signatures. Higher education regulators shut down Luna University of Telepathy For failing to meet basic standards.

University reform was a key factor in mobilizing young people against Viscarra’s exit, said Ricardo Guanga, who took over as interim education minister last week.

“Until a short time ago, we thought young people were completely disconnected from politics,” said Quenga, a former director of the Peruvian Research Institute.

“I think they are showing us that they are being cut off from the old political system, just like what happened in Chile.”