Socialist school teacher and political outsider to be sworn in as Peru’s president on 200th independence anniversary.
Four blocks away, in front of the national electoral commision headquarters, rural supporters of Castillo said they were camped out to"defend" the electoral authority and safeguard their votes. Some carried traditional Andean whips known as"We'll stay until his inauguration, but if the president of the people calls on us, we'll return as many times as he needs us," said Jaime Diaz, 49, another Quechua supporter.
Castillo's victory comes amid ever-deepening political turmoil. Peru has endured four presidents and two congresses in the past five years. On Wednesday Castillo will take the helm of a nation reeling from economic and public health crises. Over 195,000 Peruvians have died from COVID-19, the highest per capita death rate in the world.Newly elected president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, waves supporters with his running mate Dina Boluarte, from the campaign headquarters, July 19, 2021, in Lima, Peru.