A New Roadmap? The leading candidate of Juntos por el Perú (JP), Roberto Sánchez, presented a new Government Plan—this time the result of a consensus reached with the political parties Ahora Nación, Partido Cívico Obras, Primero la Gente, and Alianza Electoral Venceremos, which have pledged to support him in this runoff election. In this context, will the commitments made by JP to grassroots organizations be upheld?
Following the recent runoff debate between presidential candidates Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez—in which the public deemed the latter the winner—the Together for Peru (JP) party received support from various parties that had been rivals in the first round. This uniting of forces is a significant effort, following the political fragmentation the country has experienced.
However, while the “update” to JP’s Government Plan includes important steps toward moderating ideological language and setting measurable goals, it must not overlook the main demands of the public that were agreed upon in the signing of a “Commitment for Peru.” These include restoring the balance of powers, repealing the so-called “pro-crime laws,” justice and reparations for victims of protests over the past decade, among others; and it was signed by more than 30 grassroots organizations.
New Plan 2026–2031: Measurable Goals
In the economic sector, the new plan no longer mentions the “renegotiation of treaties and state control” and commits to “boosting micro and small enterprises, industrialization, reducing gasoline prices, and raising the minimum living wage to 1,500 soles.” In the Democratic Reform pillar, “constitutional change” is no longer central but rather part of other reforms in justice and anti-corruption.
In the Health sector, “the goal of 8% of GDP for that sector” is no longer mentioned, and the plan commits to “95% of the population having access to essential services”; in the Education sector: the goal of “6% of GDP for education” is maintained, and the plan includes “100% of rural schools and basic services and 90% of adolescents graduating.”
In the Decentralization pillar, the plan increases the share of GDP allocated to regions outside Lima and Callao by 10 percentage points; while in the Security pillar: it reaffirms the commitment made to civil society, political parties, and the Citizen Platform regarding the “repeal of pro-crime laws, justice and reparations for victims of protests, economic policy in harmony with nature, and the defense of quality public education,” among others.
Peru already had a “roadmap.” In 2011, former President Ollanta Humala ran for president with his “Great Transformation” plan, but then in the runoff election he modified his plan into the “Roadmap,” which retained some initial milestones but fit better into the market economy model.
The current situation in Peru is similar in many ways; however, the context of public insecurity (driven by pro-crime laws and a lack of institutional framework, in addition to widespread corruption at all levels of government) demands a firm commitment from the next president to undertake the necessary reforms. Meanwhile, the public today faces the crucial task of casting a critical vote at the polls and actively participating in the nation’s development.
