Rearrangements and differences in the Peruvian right

Redefinitions. people force seeks to position itself closer to a political center and leave Renovación Popular and Avanza País to the extreme right. Conservatism gained ground.

In the Peruvian right, distances are marked after almost two years of virtual coalition against what they called the “threat of communism”. It is the case of fujimorismowhich stands out from other groups in the trance about the advancement of elections. “I am disappointed in the right, which seems radical with its back to the country”, said Miguel Torres, a spokesman for people force on Canal N. Then he reiterated that his party is center-right.

popular renewal He denies being from the right but from the Social Christian and even from the center-left, claiming to want more State.

Avanza País, where several proclaim themselves liberals, raises amnesty for police and military for the repression of protests.

While far-right groups like La Resistencia continue to do violence in the streets.

“The parties are deinstitutionalized. By not tending to a long life, they accommodate themselves to the leadership of the day,” says political scientist Katherine Zegarra, a professor at the Catholic University (PUCP).

He considers Renovación a conservative right with populist traits; Avanza País “supposedly liberal” with its former candidate Hernando Soto, but now more conservative; and Fujimorismo a popular right “and also populist”.

“Fuerza Popular tries to differentiate itself from Renovación and Avanza País as if they were extreme right, but there are no big differences. It tries to position itself as a center party even if it is not, ”he argues.

The actions of politicians reveal more than their speeches.

“There are like three big families on the right: a liberal one, who could be in Avanza País; a popular one, which tries to make Popular Force; and a more conservative one, which is Renovation”, explains the political scientist Rodrigo Gil, a researcher at the Institute of Peruvian Studies and professor at the Ruiz de Montoya University.

It agrees that Avanza País actions “They end up being very similar to those of Renovación and the Fujimori right.”

He warns that “Popular Force tries to leave Renovation in the radical right, acting very pragmatically: support electoral advance for being a relatively strong party that would run with that advantage”. The ‘orange’ attempt uses the extremism of its neighbors.

“More than moving from the center, Fuerza Popular continues on the right, but with the prominence of Renovation it is no longer seen at the extreme. Now there are political discourses that are more to the right than Fujimorismo”, affirms the political consultant Jeffrey Radzinsky, director of Grupo Fides Peru.

He agrees that the ‘oranges’ join in anticipating elections because “they have a structure that the rest does not have” and they align themselves with the population.

conservatives, liberals

The advance of the conservative right is the result of a process of years, not a recent one.

“There are issues, such as gender, that have positioned themselves quite a bit in the world and have generated quite conservative responses”, Zegarra asserts.

“There has been networking in right-wing civil society in recent years for a moral agenda. Those networks remained and in the face of the terror of the arrival of Castle, they focused on attacking him, after a process of politicizing their moral and economic agendas from before. And there is an international factor: the appearance in the world of conservative right-wing initiatives that inspire like-minded local politicians”, argues Gil.

“There is deep conservatism in Peruvian society, which transcends the right. He fujimorismo in 2011 and 2016 he achieved the vote of a broad spectrum. In 2021 that space was more fragmented,” says Radzinsky.

In addition, there is a non-partisan right, but active in the street.

“One thing are groups like the one in Lucas Gersi, who gather signatures against a constituent, and another The Resistance and other violent proto-fascists. The first are a natural process of politicization of the right; the others, a danger to the foundations of democracy: pluralism, freedom, debate”, warns Gil.

“There is a misunderstanding of liberalism in those who say they are,” warns Zegarra.

“There are behaviors of Avanza País that are very similar to those of Renovación and Fujimorismo. The liberal is lost and they act against civil liberties and rights, which calls into question their adjective liberal”, says Gil.

“There is room for the liberal right, but even less. It should raise another flag: in the liberal-conservative antagonism, here the conservative has more space, but in an honesty-corruption axis or another, it would be more successful ”, argues Jeffrey Radzinsky.

reactions

Katherine Zegarra, political scientist, PUCP

“people force tries to differentiate itself from Avanza País and Renovación Popular, leaving them as extreme right, but there are no great differences beyond the question of early elections”.

Rodrigo Gil, political scientist, IEP and UARM

“The right here is gaining ground not only in leadership: their agendas are more notorious in the media and streets, and with the government, Congresswhile they manage to leverage positions with more force than years ago”.

Jeffrey Radzinsky, consultant, Fides Group

“There is deep conservatism in Peruvian society, which transcends the right. Fujimorismo 2011 and 2016 achieved the vote of a wide spectrum. In 2021 that space was more fragmented”.