As the vote count continues, the country remains in a tense atmosphere, and certain actions are revealing the true nature of the “new order.”
Today at approximately 5 p.m., a group of self-organized Peruvians and supporters of the Juntos por el Perú (JP) party, who were holding a peaceful vigil in front of the National Elections Board (JNE) to demand a proper vote count, were abruptly evicted—using water from a sprinkler system—by the District Municipality of Jesús María in Metropolitan Lima.
As seen in images immediately released by the TomaLaCalle TV website and other alternative media outlets, the water trucks that periodically water the green spaces in the district of Jesús María poured the liquid onto the tents that had been set up in front of the JNE, forcing the protesters to temporarily remove them.
Is this how our authorities “urge the public to remain calm” while awaiting the election results? Isn’t it rather a way to provoke an indignant response from those exercising their constitutional right to protest?
The measure taken by the Jesús María district, whose mayor, Jesús Gálvez Olivares, belongs to the Popular Renewal party—an ally of Popular Force—is not the only example of our authorities’ abuse of power. On the same day, Lima’s acting mayor, Renzo Reggiardo (also of Renovación Popular), stated that they were on “high alert to prevent violence in light of the announcements of demonstrations that, as expected, were going to take place. I warn that the Historic Center is off-limits and that the irresponsibility of some will be dealt with by the full force of the law.”
The mayors cited should remember that one of the primary functions of mayors, as public officials, is to govern by promoting the right to citizen participation and respecting local culture. Today, Peru is in a state of constant vigilance until the results of the 2026 General Elections are known. Social mistrust has taken root, a result of the various political and social crises of recent decades.
The role of local authorities is crucial, as they must call for calm and instill confidence in the public to bring the process to a successful conclusion. And they must be clear that this is a new milestone in our history, because the population remains vigilant, active, and politically vocal… and will remain so under successive governments. To fail to see this is foolish. Real democracy has become tangible.
