Shinkarenko Alexander Alexandrovich – PhD in Political Science, Senior Researcher, Institute of World History RAS
The article is an analysis of the evolution of leftist doctrine in Peru in the last third of the twentieth – early twenty-first century. Its most radical forms were reduced to the activities of Maoist and Guevaraist groups, which were partially overcome only by the end of the 1990s. With the retirement of President A. Fujimori from politics, this Andean state was characterized by a right-wing conservative agenda, which was supported by the prosperous dynamics of the country's macroeconomic development. Democratic transit has given individual supporters of the ultra-left the opportunity to legally participate in politics. However, against the background of the "weakening of the leftist movement" within Peruvian society, there was a consensus on neoliberal transformations. The senseless brutality of the ultra-leftists during the armed conflict of the 1980s also scared away some supporters and potential allies. Despite this, the author of the article concludes that there is still a demand for leftist discourse in politics among Peruvian voters. This was facilitated by the extremely difficult economic situation after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the polarization of the country into urban and rural regions. The electoral cycle of 2021 has clearly shown that the left-wing center is not popular among ordinary citizens due to its fragmentation. Voters cast their ballots for more radical movements, which sometimes take on very specific forms. In the run-up to the 2026 general elections, the electorate will advocate for solving the accumulated social problems, which means that the topic of leftist discourse in Peru is not finished.
leftist movement, Peru, Maoism, drug trafficking, constitutional crisis, radical ideology.
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