Peruvian historian and political analyst Daniel Parodi warns that corruption has become a transversal force within the Peruvian state, threatening the country's institutional integrity ahead of upcoming presidential elections.
Speaking in an interview with Al Pan Pan, Parodi stated that a central theme of the current presidential campaign is the urgent need to reclaim state institutions from criminal influence.
He argued that various political forces are prioritizing the rescue of the state from what he described as a "mafia coalition" that has captured key institutions.
Criminal and formal lobbies
Parodi highlighted how illegal activities, specifically illegal mining and drug trafficking, are actively penetrating the political sphere. He noted that illegal mining operations exert significant pressure through lobbying efforts directed at members of Congress.
"Corruption is in the state transversally, linked to certain specific powers, such as illegal mining that lobbies among congressmen, or drug trafficking," Parodi said.
However, the analyst noted that the problem is not limited to criminal networks. He pointed out that sectors of the formal economy also utilize political pressure to advance their own interests.
"Eventually, the formal high bourgeoisie also has its own lobbies," Parodi added.
This landscape has created a shared diagnosis among various political sectors regarding the necessity of rebuilding the state. Parodi argued that Peru lacks a professional, ideological, and independent political class capable of resisting these external pressures.
He maintained that the core of the current political debate transcends ideological divides, focusing instead on the defense of the state as an institution for the common good.
While acknowledging that corruption is a widespread issue across Latin America, Parodi expressed specific concern regarding the direct links between legislators and illicit economies. He warned that congressmen contacted by drug traffickers or illegal miners may ultimately legislate in favor of those criminal groups.
Parodi pointed to recent legislative actions as evidence of this trend. He cited laws that have extended licenses for illegal mining and modifications that have weakened the tools available to prosecute criminal organizations.
"We are facing a penetration of politics by a series of illicit interests," Parodi warned, noting that many presidential candidates are now running on platforms centered on recovering state institutionalism.
