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A Crisis in Peru Signals Trouble for South America

A few weeks ago, when President Pedro Castillo of Peru attempted an illegal power grab and ended up in jail, the response was unexpected: Thousands of protesters took to the streets to support him, and some died. Why does such a divisive leader have such fierce backing? And what does the upheaval in Peru tell us about the way the political winds are blowing in South America? Guest: Julie Turkewitz, the Andes bureau chief for The New York Times.
Duration
34m
Broadcast on
22 Dec 2022
Audio Format
other

A few weeks ago, when President Pedro Castillo of Peru attempted an illegal power grab and ended up in jail, the response was unexpected: Thousands of protesters took to the streets to support him, and some died.

Why does such a divisive leader have such fierce backing? And what does the upheaval in Peru tell us about the way the political winds are blowing in South America?

Guest: Julie Turkewitz, the Andes bureau chief for The New York Times.

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For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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This podcast is supported by TikTok. Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the ones you weren't looking for. That happens every day on TikTok. A science experiment can spark a whole new interest. A recipe you stumble upon can become a meal you make for the people you love. And a restaurant you've never heard of might become your new favorite spot. That's the thing about TikTok. Follow your curiosity and see where it leads. Your next discovery is waiting on TikTok. From the New York Times, I'm Sabrina Tavernisi, and this is The Daily. (upbeat music) A few weeks ago, when the president of Peru attempted an illegal power grab, the response was unexpected. Thousands of citizens took to the streets in support of him. Some protesters even died. Today, I spoke with my colleague, Julie Turkowitz, about why such a divisive leader has had such fierce support, and what it tells us about a new era of instability in South America. It's Thursday, December 22nd. Julie, hi. Hi. You are in Peru right now. Tell me what's going on there. So, Peru is mired in this political crisis that poses the biggest threat to its democracy in years, and you know, that says a lot because Peru is a country that has experienced a lot of political crisis. For more than a week now, we have seen people protesting all across the country. And these protests are a response to this pretty big event, the president being arrested and jailed. And so I went to the detention center where this president is being held. And the scene is pretty remarkable. There are at least 1,000 people there. Many of them have come from rural areas hundreds of miles away. I met a 67-year-old woman who had traveled 20 hours by car to get to this detention center. People are sleeping on these donated mattresses right next to the wall of the detention center.

Transcription truncated.

A few weeks ago, when President Pedro Castillo of Peru attempted an illegal power grab and ended up in jail, the response was unexpected: Thousands of protesters took to the streets to support him, and some died. Why does such a divisive leader have such fierce backing? And what does the upheaval in Peru tell us about the way the political winds are blowing in South America? Guest: Julie Turkewitz, the Andes bureau chief for The New York Times.