A tumultuous first week in office for Peru’s new president

Pedro Castillo is facing political and economic turmoil – including calls for his impeachment – as he forms his administration.

Lima, Peru – Since winning Peru’s presidential runoff with an explicitly Marxist policy platform, Pedro Castillo has been at pains to assure citizens and investors alike that his government will be moderate and unifying. “We are not Chavistas, we are not communists, we are not extremists,” he said shortly before being sworn in on July 28, as he sought to play down fears that his government would ravage Peru’s democracy and economy. But since offering those assurances, the former rural school teacher and union leader, who refuses to criticise the Cuban and Venezuelan dictatorships, has endured a calamitous first week in office, which has seen the Peruvian Sol crash just as fears about his government’s true intentions skyrocket.