In a palace press conference this morning, President Martin Vizcarra announced his government’s choice for the nation’s yearly slogan for 2019 to be the Year to Fight Against Corruption and Impunity.
The President made the announcement as he, Premier Cesar Villanueva and Justice minister Vicente Zeballos signed into law constitutional reforms approved by the nationwide referendum held Dec. 9 last year, on revamping the national magistrates council, no immediate reelection of lawmakers to Congress, and instituting regulations to govern financing of political parties.
An annual slogan chosen by the government each year has been a tradition since 1963, flagging the government’s underpinning goal. The phrase is supposed to head all official documents, although the custom has slipped in the private sector in recent years.
Vizcarra said the theme of corruption had never been included in the 55 years since the tradition was started. The government has a series of issues on which it needs to focus, Vizcarra added — including nutrition, violence against women, education— but a central theme in all issues is corruption and impunity.
In his embattled second year as President, in 2018 Pedro Pablo Kuzcynski chose to call for the Year of National Dialogue and Reconciliation, a call the majority opposition in Congress chose to ignore then and now — Kuczynski was forced to resign by March, and his vice-president, Vizcarra, has faced constant offensives since he was sworn in.
As an interested outside observer I am encouraged by this motto and recent events, (the demonstration at New Year’s in response to the firing of the prosecutors, etc.). President Vizcarra seems to mean business and the citizenry of Peru are learning their responsibilities in order to head in a positive direction. It is heartening. There will no doubt be setbacks. It will take time and a lot of effort. Perhaps the different branches of government can learn to work together, como un equipo, and not be at each other’s throats. Might even become a role model for that struggling big republic on the North American Continent. Adelante.