Peruvian Congress elects new interim president; hopes for calm

Peru’s Congress has elected a new interim president as large-scale pro-democracy protests have resulted in accusations of police brutality. According to the Guardian, two protestors died, over 100 protestors needed hospital treatment and four are still missing. The previous interim president, Manuel Merino, stepped down last Sunday after many calls for his resignation.

It is hoped that the new interim president, industrial engineer Francisco Sagasti, will lead to calm and a retreat from Peru’s worst political crisis that started when former president Martin Vizcarra was impeached.

Sagasti is a first-time legislator who will oversee the country’s elections in April. It is no secret that many Peruvian have low respect for politicians and view many of them as corrupt. The New York Times said that about half of Congress is under investigation for crimes that include bribery and money laundering.

All this is happening while Peru is suffering from one of the world’s worst outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus as well as a crippling recession.

Resource World’s Peruvian sources tell us that things have calmed down and the exploration and mining sectors have not been affected by the recent political turmoil.