Socialist Teacher Takes Lead in Peruvian Election as Nation Reels from Pandemic & Political Crisis

Democracy Now! gets an update from Peru, where socialist candidate Pedro Castillo has pulled ahead of his right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori in the country’s presidential election on Sunday. Castillo is the son of peasant farmers, and a union leader who led a nationwide teachers’ strike in 2017.

Fujimori is the daughter of former dictator Alberto Fujimori, who is in prison for human rights abuses and corruption.

Political scientist Carlos León Moya discusses the history of the two candidates and describes how the election took place amid a years-long political crisis.

“You have most of the Peruvian political elite charged by corruption,” he says. “Keiko Fujimori was in prison herself two years ago for a corruption case.”

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. lOur reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues.

On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode? Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change.

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.