Brian Dennett of AMG International says some in Peru are optimistic that fresh leadership could lead to good things. “A commoner from the mountains was elected president. And what we’re hearing from our people is that’s given some hope to common people that maybe anyone could be elected president.”

Shining Path connections

At the same time, Castillo’s pick of a prime minister created some tension. Dennett says, “This actually even outraged some of his voters. This is a man that has sympathized with terrorists in the past, groups like the Shining Path, and that is really troubling people.”

The Shining Path has a violent history in Peru. This far-left organization was founded in 1970 and carried out numerous terrorist attacks and assassinations until the 90s. At its height, it even gained control over rural and urban districts in central and southern Peru.

Even today, the group still has some presence in Peru, as evidenced by a May attack that killed 16 shortly before the elections.

Help in Jesus’ name

But Jesus remains the true King in Peru and everywhere else. AMG works in His name to provide food and other essential aid to the country. You can get involved at amghelp.org.

Dennett says, “Like most of the Third World, COVID-19 is raging there. We continue to work hard with our church partners and with our schools down there to feed people, to feed families. And you can help by sending support so that we can help Peruvians who are really suffering in the midst of all of this.”

The header photo shows Pedro Castillo giving a speech. (Photo courtesy of Presidencia de la República del Perú, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

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)