Peruvian gets 3rd president in a week amid cautious optimism

LIMA, Peru (AP) – Peru was sworn in as its third president in a week on Tuesday at a televised ceremony that saw both the optimism and skepticism of the inhabitants of a South American country rich after two decades of the worst constitutional crisis.

Wearing red and white presidential legislation, Francisco promised to restore confidence in the Sagasti government and pay tribute to two young men who died during clashes that erupted when Congress voted to oust a popular pioneer last week.

“We can’t resurrect them,” he said. “But it can prevent this from happening again.”

In Lima, many said they were cautiously optimistic that the senior politician could bring the district back to stability after a week of uprising. But there is a steep road ahead of the adventure.

Young Peruvians are still angry at the government for seeing them as self-interested and corrupt who marched on the capital after the ceremony. The Congress is full of political parties that ousted two presidents in a five-year period. Chagasthi has only five months to run for the presidency.

“I have never seen a better president in my 63 years,” said Victor Messina. “I hope it’s different.”

Peru was plunged into turmoil last week when Congress voted to oust former President Martin Viscar. Protesters filled the streets, deciding the move was a parliamentary coup. The legislators sworn in the little-known politician and paddy farmer as the interim leader of the country. But he resigned five days after most of his cabinet resigned and protests turned violent.

For more than 24 hours, Peru has no appointed president.

Through training an engineer became the head of state of Peru a day after he was voted president of the Sagasti Congress. When Manuel Merino resigned on Sunday because he did not have a vice president, it put Sakasthi in the next row. He is a respected scholar and his works include the book “Democracy and Good Governance”. In 1996, he was one of the hostages taken by the Tupac Amaru rebels at the Japanese ambassador’s residence in Lipa.

Michael Schifter, chairman of the U.S. Inter – Dialogue Thought Group and acquaintance of the new president, said Sagasti’s reputation as a consensus builder makes him an appropriate choice for now.

“He always had ideas about trying to build bridges in Peru,” Shifter said. “That’s what he really stood for.”

The 76-year-old central legislator on Monday visited hospitals where he promised to do everything in his power to help wounded protesters recover and restore confidence in Peru after becoming president of Congress.

He reiterated the message in his speech on Tuesday, vowing to rename presidential scholarships in honor of Peru’s youth. He praised the politicians for reminding the opposition of the democratic values ​​they had vowed to support. He promised to continue the fight against corruption.

“This huge movement we have seen in all regions of the country belongs to the youth,” he said.

An autobiography on Sagasti’s website states that he works while listening to classical music, has been married three times and holds a cardboard box from a mineral water box with the signatures of a former capacitor Amaru captives on a wall.

“It was an interesting experience,” he says of the captivity in the speech.

However, he is an unknown relative to many Peruvians, and the principals continue to create frustration, confusion and anxiety one after the other. The Peruvian man elected in 2016 – Pablo Kuczynski of Point Pedro – should rule until 2021 Instead, repeated corruption scandals and the strong arms of Congress have brought the country into four leaders before the deadline.

Ernesto Minoya, 52, a shoe shiner, said: “To me they are all the same. “I don’t know him.”

When Chagasti took office, about 100 protesters shouted the names of two people killed in the protests, Jack Pintado, 22, and Jordan Sodello, 24, outside Congress. Several thousand people later marched through Lima calling for a new Congress and constitution demanding justice for the dead protesters.

“We can not build a better country without justice and reconciliation,” said 23-year-old George Quinteros.

Chagasti voted against expelling Viscarra – a move that would win him at least some support from those who took to the streets in protest. Unlike Viskara, there is a party that represents him in Congress. Analysts believe the legislature will still try to crack down on any major reforms – especially corruption – but it will be difficult to remove him.

Lawmakers used a 19th-century faction to expel Viscara for “moral incompetence,” accusing her of taking bribes several years ago when she was governor. Viscarra denies the allegations. The country’s Supreme Court is assessing whether Congress has acted in accordance with the law. Their judgment does not back down, but may have the influence of moving forward.

For many, the test is a stark demonstration of why Peru’s political system needs reform. There is no majority for any party in Congress and forming a consensus is a challenge. Many politicians have little experience – half are on trial. They also wield enormous power and can oust the president by a two-thirds majority vote.

Every former Peruvian president is being investigated or charged with corruption. Yet, despite the turmoil, the country is one of the strongest performing economies in Latin America. However, the epidemic has worsened Peru’s economy. The International Monetary Fund has seen a 14% drop in GDP this year.

“I think this is the end of the coexistence between bad politics and the sound economy,” Shifter said.

When she saw the headlines on Tuesday, 61-year-old Ana Lizardo said she was somewhat optimistic that Sagasti might be a break from the past.

“I have seen many presidents my age and they have all been corrupt,” he said. “I believe he’s the best.”