Since December 2022, Peru has had a new head of state in the person of Dina Boluarte. For her first trip to Europe, the one through which Peru did not sink into anarchy last year chose to visit Germany and Italy . A highly political choice…
The journey of a determined woman
Dina Boluarte was born on May 31, 1962 in Chalhuanca, Apurimac, into a Quechua-speaking family. She graduated in law from the University of San Martín de Porres. She is the youngest of 14 children and she herself had 2 children.
She worked as a lawyer and then worked as a civil servant at the National Identification and Civil Status Registry as head of one of its offices, from 2007 to 2021. She was a candidate for vice-president, in the 2021 general elections, from the Peru Libre party, whose list, led by Pedro Castillo, won in the second round.
On July 29, 2021, she was appointed Minister of Development and Social Inclusion in the government of Pedro Castillo. After more than a year in office, on November 25, 2022, following the appointment of Betssy Chávez as President of the Council of Ministers, Boluarte presented his resignation from his position as Minister of Development and Social Inclusion.
After the attempt to overthrow the institutions by Pedro Castillo, on December 7, 2022, she declared: “I reject Pedro Castillo’s decision to perpetrate the rupture of the constitutional order with the closure of Congress. […] This is a coup d’état that aggravates the political and institutional crisis that Peruvian society will have to overcome in strict compliance with the law,”
The former Minister of Development and Social Inclusion published her message on social networks shortly after the publication of the message to the Nation in which Castillo Terrones announced measures such as the dissolution of the legislative power.
This attempt to overturn the institutions and the fall of Pedro Castillo led to a wave of violent protest in the country, especially from supporters of the fallen president with a succession of very violent and very harshly repressed episodes which caused more than 60 dead.
Dina Boluarte says she had refused the use of lethal weapons by the police forces and the army against the demonstrators but was not heard. She says that investigation into these events and the criticisms made against her have slowed down her recovery efforts.
On December 7, 2022, after the dismissal of Pedro Castillo for « moral incapacity » and the latter’s attempted self-coup, Dina Boluarte was invested President of the Republic by Congress and became the first woman to occupy this position. function.
Between December 9 and 13, it constituted a very feminine government which included 8 then 9 women for every 10 men.
In a political situation of extreme tension and in the absence of a majority in Congress, she managed to stabilize her power and began to promote her country abroad in order to attract investors.
A presidential trip
On October 12, President Boluarte will participate as guest of honor in the event entitled “Latin America Day”, organized by the German economic association Lateinamerika Verein eV (LAV). Under the patronage of the Minister-President of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, the Business Association for Latin America is organizing the 74th Latin America Day , on October 12 and 13, in Stuttgart.
The participation of the Head of State constitutes an opportunity to present Peru’s economic prospects to the business world, as well as to promote investments and increase bilateral trade with Germany, in order to continue presenting Peru as a reliable economic partner.
On the same day, she will meet the mayor of Stuttgart, Frank Nopper.
On October 13, she will travel to Berlin, where she will be received by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, with whom she will hold a meeting aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and reinvigorating visits by senior German officials.
Audience at the Holy See
On October 14, President Boluarte will travel to Rome, where she will be received at the Holy See by Pope Francis in a private audience.
This official visit aims to promote, strengthen and develop relations between Peru and the Holy See, which have remained historically strong and positive, supported by the religiosity of the Peruvian people, based on mutual respect, autonomy, freedom of worship, and are legally based on the agreement between Peru and the Holy See of 1980.
In addition, the Head of State will meet with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, with whom she will discuss bilateral issues such as the recognition of the support of the Catholic Church in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19. An exchange of views will take place on the main issues of the international agenda.
Meeting at FAO
Finally, in Rome, the Peruvian President will hold a meeting with the re-elected Director General of FAO, Qu Dongyu, which will be important for the country because it will allow discussing the implementation of the Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2021 between FAO and the Peruvian State.
The event will help promote a cooperation agenda with the said organization on a sensitive subject for the country and will explore the impact on agriculture in the coming months of the El Niño phenomenon.
The meeting will also be a prelude to the World Food Forum entitled “Transforming agri-food systems accelerates climate action”, scheduled for October 16 in Rome.
Economic Outlook
Peru is a country rich in resources. Its high-quality agricultural products are found on European markets (mango, avocado, banana, citrus fruits, grapes, corn, potatoes, beans and, finally, Arabica coffee); its seabed is very rich in fish and seafood (mackerel, hake and shrimp are mainly exported); its mining resources attract the attention of investors (gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, molybdenum, gas and oil).
When will you visit France?
Starting with Germany and therefore logical. It is hoped that this trip will be the prelude to a visit to France, a European country with which Peru has the strongest ties after Spain. A dynamic French community lives in Peru and many Peruvian students come to train in France.
Let’s hope that Madame Dina Boluarte will soon choose France as her travel destination. The holding of the next World Peace Forum in Paris on November 11 could be the opportunity for a meeting at the highest level with Emmanuel Macron.
Michel Taube
