Narco-Power, Subversion and Democracy in Peru

After nearly a decade in Peru, with two constitutional governments elected by clear majorities, the second is preparing to hold new elections, amid a loss of popularity; a severe economic crisis; a continuous state of emergency in important areas of the country, due to the destructive advance of the terrorist guerrilla Sendero Luminoso, and an undefined internal political hegemony, since whoever emerges victorious will probably not enjoy a parliamentary and municipal majority, as the current Aprista regime does. In this picture, narco-power casts an ominous shadow, and its entanglements with subversion, together with the actions of smugglers and widespread corruption, generate questions and tensions whose resolution is difficult to predict.