6/5/2020 Peru | Freedom House FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2020 Peru 72 FREE /100 Political Rights 30 /40 Civil Liberties 42 /60 LAST YEAR'S SCORE & STATUS 73 /100 Free Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. See the methodology. TOP https://freedomhouse.org/country/peru/freedom-world/2020 1/14 6/5/2020 Peru | Freedom House Overview Peru has established democratic political institutions and undergone multiple peaceful transfers of power, though recent, high-profile corruption scandals have eroded public trust in government and hampered its normal operations. Indigenous groups suffer from discrimination and inadequate political representation. Key Developments in 2019 In September, President Martín Vizcarra dissolved the opposition-controlled Congress. In response, Congress attempted to suspend Vizcarra, and named Vice President Mercedez Araoz as interim president, but she resigned a day later. Vizcarra remained in power and called for new legislative elections in January 2020. In July and August, President Vizcarra responded to protests in Islay against a controversial mining project by authorizing military forces to maintain order in the area. Local social organizations that oppose the Tia Maria mine note the risk that it would pollute local farmland and water supplies. Political Rights A. Electoral Process A1 0-4 pts Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4 TOP The president is chief of state and head of government. Presidents are directly elected to a five-year term and may serve nonconsecutive terms. The 2016 election was closely contested, with Pedro Kuczynski winning by a historically small margin of https://freedomhouse.org/country/peru/freedom-world/2020 2/14 6/5/2020 Peru | Freedom House 0.2 percent over Keiko Fujimori. The elections took place peacefully, and stakeholders accepted the close result. Kuczynski resigned in March 2018, as lawmakers prepared to hold an impeachment vote against him over corruption allegations. Vice President Martín Vizcarra was quickly sworn in to replace him, in accordance with legal procedures. A2 0-4 pts Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4 Members of the 130-member unicameral Congress are elected for five-year terms. Congressional balloting employs an open-list, region-based system of proportional representation, with a 5 percent vote hurdle for a party to enter the legislature. In September 2019, President Vizcarra dissolved Congress. Vizcarra had the constitutional authority to move forward with the dissolution, especially as there had been two votes of no confidence since the most recent congressional elections. In response, Congress attempted to dismiss the president’s actions, suspend him from the presidency, and appoint Vice President Mercedez Araoz as interim president. The next day, however, Araoz resigned and soon after President Vizcarra issued a decree calling for congressional elections in January, which has been accepted by the opposition party. A3 0-4 pts Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? 3 / 4 The National Board of Elections (JNE) has taken steps to improve transparency TOP surrounding the electoral process, but insufficiently regulated campaign financing remains a serious issue. Soon after President Vizcarra dissolved Congress, JNE officially started the process for the 2020 congressional elections. Political parties https://freedomhouse.org/country/peru/freedom-world/2020 3/14 6/5/2020 Peru | Freedom House and other political alliances had until the end of October 2019 to officially register their candidates to participate in the January 2020 election. B. Political Pluralism and Participation B1 0-4 pts Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or 4 / 4 groupings? Peruvian parties, while competitive, are both highly fragmented and extremely personalized. Though there are limits on individual donations, there are no constraints on spending by political parties, offering an outsized advantage to parties able to secure abundant funds. The political system in Peru has been described by the country’s political science community as a “democracy without parties.” The prevailing opinion is that the party system collapsed during Alberto Fujimori’s authoritarian regime in the 1990s. Traditional political parties have been replaced by fragile and opportunistic political organizations that have a very short life and little preference for democratic practices. B2 0-4 pts Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? 4 / 4 TOP Opposition political parties have a realistic chance of winning power through elections. The Popular Force party has used its legislative majority as a strong counterweight to the executive. There is currently no indication that the recent https://freedomhouse.org/country/peru/freedom-world/2020 4/14 6/5/2020 Peru | Freedom House dissolution of Congress by President Vizcarra will create legal or de facto obstacles to the opposition, nor will he curtail its participation in the upcoming elections. B3 0-4 pts Are the people’s political choices free from domination by forces that are external to the political sphere, or by political forces that employ 3 / 4 extrapolitical means? While voters and candidates are generally able to exercise their political choices without undue influence, businesses regularly seek to bribe or otherwise influence political candidates’ positions. B4 0-4 pts Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, religious, gender, LGBT, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral 2 / 4 opportunities? The concerns of ethnic and cultural minorities, especially in remote mountain and Amazonian areas, remain inadequately addressed in politics. The 2011 Law of Prior Consultation attempted to improve the participation of indigenous groups by guaranteeing consultation before mining and other development projects are undertaken. However, indigenous groups have criticized the law, as the process gives indigenous representatives no veto power, and there are ambiguities as to what qualifies a community as indigenous. While the political participation of women has increased over recent years, women held just 28 percent of seats in Congress before its dissolution, and few leadership roles in local and regional governments. C. Functioning of GovernmentTOP C1 0-4 pts https://freedomhouse.org/country/peru/freedom-world/2020 5/14 6/5/2020 Peru | Freedom House Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? 2 / 4 Elected leaders and representatives are the key agents in creating and implementing policy. However, businesses and special interest groups influence officials through bribes and other illicit payments. The last four presidents and opposition leader Keiko Fujimori have all been accused of accepting illegal funds. Partisan polarization has disrupted normal government functions in recent years. Throughout his time in office, President Vizcarra has constantly battled with Congress over his political and legislative agenda. In September 2018 he addressed the issue of no confidence in his government when he perceived that Congress was blocking his judicial and anticorruption reforms. Earlier this year, Vizcarra clashed again with Congress while trying to push his ambitious political reform. Finally, in September 2019, the battle over the rules of selection of new members of the Constitutional Court ended with Vizcarra dissolving Congress. Score Change: The score declined from 3 to 2 due to a clash between the executive and legislative branches in which the president took the unusual step of dissolving Congress, and lawmakers subsequently attempted to suspend the president from office. C2 0-4 pts Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? 2 / 4 Government corruption remains a critical problem in Peru, though law enforcement authorities frequently investigate and prosecute corruption allegations. Recent years have seen scandals involving allegations of illicit deals between the Brazilian firm Odebrecht and a number of the country’s most senior political figures. TOP After assuming office, President Vizcarra proposed four anticorruption reforms, which were put to a referendum in December 2018. Three of the measures— including a ban on consecutive reelection for lawmakers, limits on campaign https://freedomhouse.org/country/peru/freedom-world/2020 6/14 6/5/2020 Peru | Freedom House contributions, and an overhaul of the judicial appointment process—were approved by more than 85 percent of voters. The fourth measure, to reinstitute a 50-member Senate, was rejected by a little over 90 percent of voters. The result was a triumph for Vizcarra, who had campaigned heavily for the three successful reforms, but advocated against the fourth due to a modification made by the opposition- controlled Congress that would have curtailed executive power. Vizcarra’s administration called 2019 “the year of the fight against corruption and impunity.” However, the perception of corruption of the political class is widespread, according to the latest survey by the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP).