Social movement and electoral politics: The 2021 Peruvian presidential election and the rise of Pedro Castillo
Author(s): Vaibhav Kadal Baju
Abstract: The 2021 Peruvian presidential election stands as one of the most fiercely contested electoral processes in the nation’s recent history. Occurring in the aftermath of significant political upheaval precipitated by widespread corruption scandals and economic mismanagement, the election exposed profound public disillusionment with the country’s political establishment. Pedro Castillo, a relatively obscure political figure, emerged victorious over Keiko Fujimori by an exceptionally narrow margin. A former schoolteacher and self-identified Marxist who had only recently aligned with the Free Peru party, Castillo campaigned on a platform centered on two principal pillars: the equitable redistribution of national resources and the establishment of a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. This paper examines the central issues that shaped the electoral contest, analyses the policies and programs articulated by the two leading presidential candidates, and traces the trajectory of Pedro Castillo’s ascent to national political prominence. Through this analysis, the study illuminates the broader socio-political dynamics that characterised this watershed moment in Peruvian democracy.
Vaibhav Kadal Baju. Social movement and electoral politics: The 2021 Peruvian presidential election and the rise of Pedro Castillo. Int J Political Sci Governance 2025;7(12):102-110. DOI: 10.33545/26646021.2025.v7.i12b.778
