Peru (NN) — Peru faces a divisive presidential election, scheduled for June 6. Everything has become politicized. The Shining Path terrorist group, once a powerful communist army in Peru, murdered 16 people last week. They left behind pamphlets warning people not to vote in the election.
Meanwhile, the country has the highest COVID-19 death rate per capita in the world according to recent statistics. Brian Dennett of AMG International says, “On the right, you have Keiko Fujimori. And she herself spent, I think, around 18 months in prison for corruption. On the left, you have a teacher’s union organizer, Pedro Castillo, really with no political experience. With COVID-19 surging, inequality, hunger, and poverty rates growing, many are leaning towards the left and his appeal to the poor.”
How to get involved
Political leaders come and go, but Jesus reigns forever. Ask God to give Peruvian Christians wisdom and love during a difficult and confusing election cycle.
Plus, you can join with AMG’s work, offering help to those in poverty. Visit amghelp.org to learn more or donate. Dennett says, “We have a number of locations in Lima, where we’re working with children and their families. We also work up in the mountains and down in the Amazon. We have quite a presence in Peru. And we have really been focusing on providing food and basic needs for people that really are suffering right now.”
The header image shows a polling station in Peru during the first round of the 2021 election. (Photo courtesy of Txolo, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
