World Questions: Peru

World Questions

This South American country has escaped from poverty and paramilitary violence that once threatened the state itself; huge reserves of natural resources have helped boost the economy. But political instability and high crime threaten those hard-won gains, sparking mass protests across the country. President Dina Boluarte was reckoned to be one of the world’s most unpopular heads of state. The programme was recorded on 7th October before her removal by Congress. Jonny Dymond is joined by a panel of leading politicians taking questions from an audience at the Teatro Ricardo Blume in the country’s capital Lima.

The Panel: Mercedes Araoz: Former Prime Minister of Peru, Professor of International Economy, University of the Pacific Sigrid Bazán: Congresswoman (Nuevo Perú), former President of the Labour Commission Tarcila Rivera Zea: Founder of the Centre for Indigenous Cultures of Peru, former member of the UN Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues Diana Gonzales: Congresswoman (Avanza País), Vice Chair of the Energy and Mines Committee

Producer: Charlie Taylor (Photo: Protesters clash with police in Peru. Credit: Reuters)