Changing Seasons in Peru

We had always heard that Peru had only two seasons, summer and winter. That no longer seems to be true. And what also is not true is the predictability of the changes in seasons.

I recall that December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, was at one time the beginning of summer. Since it was a national holiday in Peru, that might even mean our first visit to the ocean. January was excessively hot, February as well, and by March things cooled down and a new school year began.

No longer true. Climate change has thrown our seasons out of kilter, as it has in so many parts of the world. Heavy rains in January and February might still be predictable in the interior of the country, but the patterns of excessive flooding or drought seem to be unpredictable, or at least unexpected.

Whether we accept it or not, climate change is real and continues to deluge the poorer areas of the country, where political abandonment has a long history and is one of the factors that does not change. This history of abandonment by the government and exploitation by multinational corporations has forged the current political crisis in Peru, as it has in many countries of Central and South America.

There comes a point where patience—or waiting—no longer carries weight in an argument for change. The Peruvian people hoped for change after last year’s elections.

Some would say they “elected one of their own,” meaning they elected someone from the interior of the country, a teacher, a “campesino,” one who knew the struggles of the poor. But being elected is not the only criteria. Having the capacity to lead and govern, to deal with the political powers and the centers of wealth is also a criteria. That did not happen.

And so, what you have seen in the papers—the outbreak of violence, the marches, the protests, the confrontations with police, the destruction of property, the outcries for a change in government, rewriting the constitution—are the result of years of abandonment by the government. A scarcity of hospitals, a lack of control of imports and exports, privileges given to the extraction industry, a lack of protection from subversive groups, a confused education policy, and a lack of protection from natural disasters have all accumulated into the chaos the Peruvian people are living now.

In Lima and in the southern Andean region, the protests have calmed down because there are police and military on the streets. Major highways are no longer blocked because the army is there, securing passage. The protests have moved more to the north, and soon the military forces will squelch voices there, as well.

There have been too many deaths of too many innocent people.

Citizens self-convened in the city of Lima to protest the current political crisis facing the country. During the day, unions, collectives, associations, federations, regional delegations, students and individuals were mobilized to call for the resignation of Dina Boluarte, the closure of the congress and a referendum for a Constituent Assembly.

Photo credit: Candy Sotomayor, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons of violence, the marches, the protests, the confrontations with police, the destruction of property, the outcries for a change in government, rewriting the constitution—are the result of years of abandonment by the government.

There is still a call for new elections for the president and the congress. However, as you might expect, no one wants to let go of their power or the higher income because they are in an elected position, and so, no real solution is found.

Our political parties have nothing solid to hold onto. Neither the left nor the right can claim that they are unified or have clarity in their proposals. And ever since the time of political terrorism in the ’80s and ’90s, there has been little local organization that can carry the voice of the people, and the few that are left or have been refocused do not carry weight.

Despite all the above, I cannot say that there is no hope. There are groups of teachers, local entrepreneurs and members of previous youth groups that still give of their time to help children and youth have a better opportunity for becoming healthy, participative citizens of a democratic society. With them, Sisters Yuli Oncihuay and Sue journey, brainstorm, plan, dream and develop projects that might create a better future for a few.

Having Sister Yuli in Carmen de la Legua these past few months has been a gift. While she has spent a lot of time with her family, and especially caring for her mother, she has also been supportive in activities with the Associates, the children, and now in getting ready for the school year.

I leave you with a quote by Emily Dickinson: “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops at all.”