Peru has an incompetent president and a discredited Congress

Political volatility is part of the image of Latin America, even if it often doesn’t correspond to reality. But the term hardly does justice to the government of Pedro Castillo in Peru. In just 14 months in office Mr Castillo has managed to get through 72 ministers. The latest, appointed on September 23rd, was his fourth defence minister this year. Five of his appointees were censured by Congress. Many others were palpably unqualified, or involved in scandals ranging from claims of corruption to wife-beating. Most worryingly, some were sacked by the president seemingly because they tried to do their jobs. That applies to a couple of interior ministers.

Mr Castillo is an accidental president with no political experience and, it is clear, no aptitude for the job. He got it because many Peruvians could not bring themselves to vote for his opponent, Keiko Fujimori, a conservative accused of corruption (which she denies). A rural schoolteacher and union activist who ran for a far-left party, he claimed to represent poor Peruvians. In office, he has achieved almost nothing. The core of his government is his extended family and associates from his home province of Chota in northern Peru. The prosecutor’s office has opened six investigations into Mr Castillo and his family, three concerning public contracts. He denies wrongdoing. A daughter is in custody and a nephew is on the run.