Peru's ongoing political instability will continue to fuel sporadic, economically-disruptive protests by impeding the government's ability to address longer-term issues like food instability and rural poverty. Over the past month and a half, Peruvians have taken to the streets en masse demanding early elections and the release of the country's former leftist president Pedro Castillo, who was impeached and detained on Dec. 7 following an attempted self-coup. Most recently, thousands of Peruvians from the country's southernmost regions demonstrated in the capital city of Lima on Jan. 18 and 19. The ongoing protests in southern Peru have blocked off major roads, causing supply chain disruptions both domestically and for exports transiting through ports or across the Bolivian and Chilean borders. Since assuming the presidency, Castillo's former Vice President Dina Boluarte has struggled to appease protesters and navigate the country's difficult political environment. The new president has been forced to cater to...
