- by Vinnie Molina
- The Guardian
- Issue #2040
Pedro Castillo Terrones. Photo: Braian Reyna Guerrero – flickr.com (CC BY 2.0)
Communist and workers’ parties around the world have expressed their condemnation at the removal of Peruvian president Pedro Castillo in a right-wing coup d’état last December.
Since then, more than 60 people have been killed by the de facto government’s repressive forces. President Dina Boluarte has blood on her hands by refusing to step down and not calling for new elections.
The people have taken to the streets to demand the release of President Castillo, currently in prison. They have also called for de facto president Dina Boluarte to resign and for new elections and a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution that guarantees the rights of the Peruvian people.
President Castillo won the presidential elections just short of two years ago. His policy program aimed at creating jobs, independence, and for no Peruvian to be poor in a rich country. It attracted a lot of popular support.
Unfortunately, the local oligarchy and the US government and multinational corporations did not allow him to govern. Castillo faced several obstacles by the majority controlled right-wing Parliament. Threats of impeachment, sabotage of his government initiatives and opposition to several of Castillo’s ministers forced them to resign or be replaced.
The experiences in Peru have been present in many Latin American countries in which left and progressive forces have been able to win office and form government. Right-wing forces and the bourgeoisie, who control the economic power will not allow progressive governments to have an easy run.
Any reform that would benefit the people is fought by any means in defence of the economic interests of the powerful. The interests of the multinational corporations, those in the mining and resource sectors represent a big danger to popular democracy.
The historically privileged do not care if workers and their families are able to satisfy their basic needs to reproduce their labour.
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA) stands in solidarity with the workers and people in Peru who are currently sacrificing their lives in defence of democracy and their right to self-determination.
The CPA calls for a halt to the repression that is killing the people. The CPA supports the demands for the release of President Pedro Castillo, the resignation of de facto president Dina Boluarte and her government as well as the call for immediate elections and a Constituent Assembly to draft a new Constitution that would guarantee the rights of the people.
