Historic change in Peru: Pedro Castillo proclaimed president-elect | Latin America celebrates

From Lima

The wait has been long, marked by tensions and threats of a coup. Leftist professor and trade unionist Pedro Castillo is now officially elected president of Peru. After six unprecedented weeks, the national election jury declared Castillo the winner of the June 6 elections on Monday evening. A historic announcement. The triumph of Castillo, teacher and peasant from an impoverished Andean region and who will assume the presidency on July 28, is the victory of popular sectors, marginalized populations, forgotten rural areas, historically excluded, only in this electoral victory, they find a justification in the year of the Bicentenary of the Independence of the country. It is also the triumph of change, of a proposal that won by asking for the support of the population to change the neoliberal economic model that has prevailed in the country for more than three decades. In keeping with these times of pandemic, Castillo’s proclamation session as president-elect was virtual. The next president received his online proclamation from his local party in downtown Lima. Outside the premises, a crowd celebrated the moment of triumph. “Yes, it was possible,” they began chanting as soon as he was officially proclaimed president-elect.

A few minutes after his proclamation, Castillo appeared on the balcony of the second square of the old house in central Lima where the premises of the Free Peru party operate, which led him to the presidency. He did so accompanied by his vice-president, Dina Boluarte. “Thank you very much colleagues and brothers, thank you very much to all Peruvians” were his first words. The crowd applauded. As in all his public presentations, he wore the white wide-brimmed hat typical of the men of the countryside of Cajamarca, the Andean region where he comes from and where he lived and worked as a teacher and peasant on his farm, until that he gets in the election campaign that brought him to the presidency. When the campaign started a few months ago, no one took notice. It was the big surprise. He is now the first president of Peru from a left-wing party. In his small hometown, the population took to the streets chanting “Pedro, Presidente”. The celebrations were repeated across the country.

As on other occasions in recent weeks, the one who in a few days will become president of the country called for unity. An appeal launched at a time when the right seeks to divide the country, to confront it, with calls for a coup d’état not to recognize the legitimacy of the new president. “I appeal to the greatest unity to open the doors of the next Bicentenary. I bring an open heart to everyone, here in this chest there is no resentment. Comrades and brothers, Peru comes first, ”Castillo said in his brief victory speech. “I call on political suitors to come together. I appeal to the leader of the Fuerza Popular, Ms. Fujimori, so that we do not put more barriers in this journey, we do not put more obstacles to move this country forward.

Castillo said it took “a struggle of several years” to achieve the popular victory celebrated on Monday. He promised “a government of all blood, without any discrimination, where no one is left behind.” He had words of support and gratitude for the indigenous populations, for “the men and women of deep Peru”, to whom he assured that he would govern to defend their rights. He himself comes from this deep Peru. “Just as we trust you, I ask for the loyalty of these people to us, I ask for the effort and the sacrifice that we will share together in this effort to make Peru more just, more worthy and more united”, said he exclaimed. Those who listened to him burst out with applause and cries of victory. Among them, many were residents of the interior of the country, from rural areas, who traveled to Lima to defend the victory of Castillo that the right tried to wrest from him with maneuvers to win votes, with allegations not founded on suspected fraud. The president-elect acknowledged this support. “You made the effort to be here, thank you very much for this achievement, for this fight. Thank you to everyone who fought 24 hours a day, men and women from the last corner of the country, indigenous peoples. Let’s work together. ”The crowd started chanting,“ Come on people, damn it, people don’t give up, damn it. ”

“We reject anything that goes against democracy. We are not going to allow a penny to be stolen from the Peruvian people. We ratify our commitment, to fight against corruption and the great ills of the country ”, were the words with which he closed his victory speech in front of an enthusiastic crowd that he was finally able to celebrate. It was a night of joy and relief, a celebration held for weeks by right-wing attempts to change the election result, which delayed the proclamation. Castillo proposed that his government will provide legal and economic stability.

Castillo won with 50.12%, or just over 44,000 votes than right-wing Keiko Fujimori. The daughter of jailed ex-dictator Alberto Fujimori has not admitted defeat, the third in a row in a presidential election, and has maneuvered to cancel polling stations in rural areas where Castillo has garnered massive support, citing a non-existent fraud there. All their requests were rejected for lack of support. This delayed Castillo’s proclamation. Castillo has insisted on his calls for unity, but his government will face a right wing that has called for a coup to prevent him from taking office as president and without arguments denies the legitimacy of his victory and announces destabilizing actions against his government.

Hours before Castillo’s proclamation, Keiko Fujimori delivered a message that was a declaration of war. Contradictory, he said he would recognize the electoral result that gave Castillo the winner, but stressed that the left-wing trade unionist’s government would be “illegitimate.” He called on his supporters to mobilize against the new government.

Minutes after his proclamation as president-elect was formalized, Castillo began to receive congratulations from presidents and personalities around the world. “Congratulations to Pedro Castillo, who was finally proclaimed President of Peru today. We wish him every success in his management and we send a big hug to the dear Peruvian people, ”was the message sent by Argentinian Vice-President Cristina Kirchner.