Lost in Transition: Explaining Authoritarianism in Peru.

The article analyzes the current authoritarianism in Peru as a consequence of the failure of two key post-Fujimori transitions: the consolidation of democracy and the establishment of a postconflict society respecting human rights. It argues that successive governments after Alberto Fujimori's authoritarian rule (1990–2000) have perpetuated his legacies by empowering economic elites through state capture and repressing social mobilization via stigmatization and violence, particularly against indigenous and rural populations. The persistence of corruption scandals, such as those involving the Brazilian company Odebrecht, and the use of anti-terrorist rhetoric to delegitimize protests illustrate these failures. The article emphasizes that understanding Peru's political crisis requires examining where real power lies and how state actions serve powerful economic interests rather than addressing political fragmentation alone.