New political crisis in Peru would give a new turn to the elections

Peru has been experiencing a political crisis for several years, only small periods of stability are needed so that the Peruvian reality itself reminds us of its need for change.

After having 3 presidents in less than 1 week, several protests against Congress to overthrow the president, and with a view to the presidential elections, there is a new corruption scandal that could transform the panorama in Peru again.

The scandal, already classified as "Vacunagate", involves 487 people who received the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm, many of them irregularly and taking advantage of their position.

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In the list sent by the current president Francisco Sagasti, there are names like former president Martín Vizcarra, former first lady Maribel Díaz, among other personalities. It was suspected that Vizcarra could have received the dose as a volunteer, however, the newspaper El Comercio assures that sources confirm that the ex-president received the vaccine as a "consultant" and that the informed consent form that all volunteers must sign does not appear either.

Vizcarra had left the presidency due to a congressional impeachment, but maintained high levels of approval (close to 80% approval) for his fight against corruption while in office. Precisely, this information could strongly affect the political landscape.

According to recent polls, Vizcarra's political party, with the president as head of the congress list, represented 7% of the intention to vote in Congress, ranking third, only behind the classic Popular Action and Force. Popular (9 and 8% respectively).

In addition, he will also be able to give the final blow to the candidate of the Somos Peru party, Daniel Salaverry, a candidate that had not managed to take off and remained, according to the polls in only 3% of voting intention with a large number of abstentionism and blank votes. 

This scandal, which comes less than 2 months before the elections to find the definitive replacement for Vizcarra, will hit his party and its aspirations to achieve great force in Congress. As Eduardo Ballón, political analyst, explained to the newspaper La República, this image coup will have repercussions on the former president's party and he will not pass the electoral fence. Plus, it's a withering shot at Salaverry's aspirations.

Added to this political problem are the poor economic results left by 2020 with the pandemic and the institutional crisis involved. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), the Inca country registered a fall of 11.1%, the biggest setback in 30 years. The only way out will be to get the vaccines that everyone is looking for, in the middle of elections, with an interim exit government and with a vacant Ministry of Health (which was carrying out these negotiations), since the head of the portfolio, Pilar Mazzeti, had to resign since he also appears on the list of irregularly vaccinated.