Peru’s President Dina Boluarte announced on Independence Day her intention to request legislative powers from Congress for a period of 120 days. This move is aimed at combating organized crime and addressing the potential impacts of the El Niño phenomenon. Boluarte stated that the delegation of legislative powers would enable the government to tackle delinquency and criminality more effectively.
President Boluarte also mentioned the possibility of reinstating the Bicameral Congress, which would replace the current single-body Parliament. The existing political model has been critiqued for causing institutional fractures, and a commission of constitutionalists has been formed to examine this issue and other significant matters. The president suggested that it might be time to debate whether the proportional representation model is still relevant.
In response to the president’s speech, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Congress, demanding Boluarte’s resignation and calling for new national elections and a referendum on a new Constitution.
Boluarte concluded her address by calling for national reconciliation, emphasizing that ideological and opinion differences should not lead to a society divided by unnecessary and irreconcilable antagonisms.
Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency after serving as the vice president, making her the first female president in Peru’s history. However, the country has experienced significant turnover in leadership, with Boluarte being the sixth president in less than five years.