Peru’s Pedro Castillo enters 2022 with tough decisions to make

Peru’s history of sociopolitical turmoil appears to be deeply rooted in the country’s daily life, leaving the prospects of a full year of political stability slim for any president. For left-wing President Pedro Castillo, it has been no different. While 2022 is set to be Mr. Castillo’s first full year in office, it could very well be his last.

Corruption scandals, social unrest, a tanking currency, and a fragile economic scenario exacerbated by the pandemic are just a few obstacles that have marked the first six months of the former union leader’s government. Indeed, the controversy began before he had even made it into office.

Mr. Castillo won last year’s election by defeating Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of Peru’s former president and dictator Alberto Fujimori. As soon as the votes had been counted, the president-elect’s right-wing opponent called shenanigans, claiming results had been rigged, though not providing any satisfactory proof. Yet, after weeks of political uncertainty and civil unrest, Mr. Castillo was sworn into the presidency on July 28.

His main campaign promise of “no more poor people in a rich country” had alarmed markets and the country’s economic elite, but...