Fujimori casts long shadow as Peru’s new president assumes office

Peru has had four presidents and two Congresses, as corruption scandals and power struggles have fueled turmoil and pushed institutions to their limits, writes Mitra Taj in Lima

Inauguration Day: President-elect Pedro Castillo arrives at Palacio de Torre Tagle, Lima (REUTERS)

Wednesday marks the 200^th year of Peru’s independence, a date that many in the South American country once looked forward to as a national milestone. But instead of celebrating progress made, many Peruvians today are wondering what went wrong.

“Sometimes I think we’ve been cursed,” said Julia Hildalgo, a 34-year-old hairdresser in Lima, blaming an out-of-touch political class.

In recent years, Peru has had four presidents and two Congresses, as corruption scandals and power struggles have fueled turmoil and pushed institutions to their limits. Four former presidents have been in jail, and a fifth killed himself to avoid arrest.