Marco Jean Paul Apaza Gonzales | Principal advisor JDN-FEP
January 04, 2022
More than 6 months into the government of Pedro Castillo, it is necessary to reflect, especially if we consider that we are still celebrating the Bicentennial of the Republic, which should mark a milestone in the development of Peruvians, reflecting progress, consolidating the way out of the underdevelopment promised for decades. Nothing is further from reality.
We find ourselves with two clearly differentiated specters, those who supported Castillo and retreat or reaffirm their support, despite all the deficiencies that the first months of government have shown, and those who opposed it, either because they were right-wing people or because they they believed the credo of the press that Peru would become North Korea.
In both cases, we are sure that we must reflect, as a country, looking at the course of history, which today is uncertain. Politics in Peru has never been balanced, we always navigate between coups, authoritarian governments and military regimes, nothing should surprise us. Unfortunately there are always reasons for amazement.
At the beginning of 2021, he was already harshly commenting on the campaign of the left, the one represented by Verónika Mendoza and that of Pedro Castillo, one questioning the other. Claiming to be the true left, as if it were a personal assessment contest. The right did not have a better path, the popular bases of Fujimorismo gave it an advantage.
In the second round the country was polarized, between the Fujimorismo with a history of dictatorship, and the left, with promises to found the Latin American Soviet Union. Both extremes did not correspond to reality, but they served at the time to scare people, move them by terror. Nothing new for humanity.
When I saw the rural school teacher talk about education, I felt tenderness, I think that’s what Castillo provokes, a willingness to want to help him, and along the way help you, in the face of so much racism, classism and others. His voters, I think, are mainly people who find a mirror in him. Why can’t a peasant be president?
If all the presidents who graduated from luxurious universities in the world had stolen, defrauded and thrown away their government plans. Why not stop electing technocrats and elect ordinary people? That he speaks with fillers, that he takes care of chickens and lives in the countryside, that’s where the thinking goes -I think- of the people who voted for Castillo.
I was able to tell him when I had the opportunity, being Secretary General of the FEP. Professor, with that speech you are not going to govern, 10% for education is unfeasible, you know. Tell us what you will actually do. He looked me in the eye and repeated the learned speech again. There I knew that we were facing a characteristic of persistent people, not to say stubborn.
With that image, I supported his campaign, led by Keiko Fujimori, with a team willing to deepen the social gaps and generate the conditions for the emergence of another Shining Path. He opposed me, as most Peruvians did, between doubts and certainties. We choose the lesser evil again, as is the national custom.
I always thought that Castillo would allow himself to be advised, that the progressive governments of Latin America would provide technical support, that, at the end of the campaign, everyone around him should understand that they cannot assume a leading role as if it were a merit for their contribution in second place. return. The country is not a booty that the winner takes to settle scores.
Here is an error that I must admit, the left has shown to have the same vices as the right, reproduce the same problems. To think that a campaign is supported to receive something in return is an ancient lethargy, from Civilism to the present, the same problem of Creole politics. Then the distribution of power began, the displaced in theory had the opportunity to lead the changes, time passed and they proved aimless. Because good intentions do not govern, preparation is fundamental, and by this I do not mean university degrees, training refers to the study of science, degrees I consider are accessories.
How long did the illusion of having achieved success last? A few months, years maybe? But that will vanish, even if it lasted 5 years, a defrauded people will not believe in the left again until the Tercentenary. It will bequeath us 100 years of neoliberal governments, which cut budgets for health, education, concessions at a gift price for our natural resources, among others.
A bad Government of Castillo will have these effects, it will be studied and held responsible for having missed the opportunity to transform reality, everything said by Manuel González Prada and José Carlos Mariátegui, comes to nothing, if when you have the opportunity to implement what is written prefers to parcel out the state.
Castillo doesn’t realize this, he doesn’t realize much, I still think that he has good will, but as I said before, only will is not governed. He surrounded himself with people he trusted, who knew little about politics, much less about government, and about the state, needless to say. Failure is announced by pretending to be loyal to these people.
Loyalty to people who helped you by lending your truck or loyalty to the people? Thousands of people have died in strikes, demonstrations and work stoppages, we have martyrs in every corner of the country. Lives that were dreaming of a just and egalitarian Peru. The loyalty is to them, to the Peruvians who will be born, not to a political campaign group.
The power ends, the governments too, much larger and more dominant empires fell resoundingly, what remains is the cultural. Time goes by and proposing changes in this area is ridiculous, much more domestic things are required, such as managing State accounts, attending to emergencies and fulfilling State obligations.
They gave Castillo’s body to CNN as an offering, it was a human sacrifice so that there is no doubt about how bad we are. The moderate left, far from assuming the consequences, turned on its side. Calculating to minimize the collateral damage for the next elections. The electoral left does what it knows.
No transformation is made from the State, that Pedro Castillo and his months of government have shown us, much more is needed. Social organizations, conviction of a program, and in the end, the public management of state policies. We can blame Castillo for the lousy public management, but nothing else.
The conviction of a program of change, the strengthening of social organizations, that corresponded to the left in general, which for decades was concerned with taking care of its borders, its fiefdoms, its kingdoms, but not to build spaces for ideological dispute. The unions are not, nor are the student unions -see the self-criticism-.
We have failed there, the country and the people. Assuming a self-criticism is not stepping aside, on the contrary, it is disputing spaces that we have lost due to our irresponsibility. In that sense, I think we must fill ourselves with enthusiasm, learning from mistakes, to recover the long and tedious path of the New Republic.
Nobody told us that it would be easy, if in 200 years we have not achieved it, 200 more years we will have to fight. Beyond our earthly step.
Hopefully who can try again, learn from our mistakes and remember that long ago there was hope for change.
That they will see the dawn from Tumbes to Tacna. Then we can say that the sacrifice of centuries was not in vain.
Sincerely, Marco Jean Paul Apaza Gonzales
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