The emergence of the far-right within a fragmented and polarized party system: The case of Peru

The emergence of the far-right (Renovación Popular - RP) in Peru can be explained by the party system dynamics, specifically by the implosion of the right-wing camp. The right-wing spectrum of Peruvian politics, which used to be dominated by fujimorismo, got fragmented in various political organizations in the context of endemic political crises and growing political polarization. After the 2021 general elections, and the rise to power of radical leftist union leader Pedro Castillo, RP and its head, Rafael López Aliaga, have followed a radicalized strategy, in order to create a well-structured ultra-conservative, anti-communist, and populist narrative. Although in terms of party-building, RP is a highly personalistic organization with weak linkages between its leaders and society, they have managed to elaborate a popular anti-systemic discourse in which the economic and cultural establishment is composed of "corrupted companies" and "communist NGOs", respectively, and in which RP represents the preservation of Catholic values such as the defense of the "traditional family" against the threat of "radicalized minorities" (e.g. LGTB social movement). The access of RP to the mayorship of the Peruvian capital and twelve local municipalities in the Metropolitan area of Lima since 2023 is an opportunity to analyze how a populist radical right party employs subnational resources and rules local governments through policies inspired by a "cultural battle" against the promoters of "gender ideology" (sic). Party manifestos, official speeches, and local policy reforms are systematized to provide empirical evidence for the arguments developed in this paper.