18-10-2018: Latin American Weekly Report

Peru is locked in a titanic struggle pitting President Martín Vizcarra against the main opposition Fuerza Popular (FP), the right-wing party led by Keiko Fujimori. Vizcarra’s anti-corruption crusade, embodied in a public referendum to be held on 9 December, has seen his popularity soar. But FP is fighting back. It is accusing Vizcarra of political persecution, especially in relation to a judicial ruling revoking the pardon received by former presi- dent Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), and Keiko’s subsequent arrest on suspicion of corruption. The party used its congressional majority this week to spare Fujimori from returning to jail, and to shield senior members of its party, and the attorney general, from corruption probes. It is also seeking to derail part of the referendum.