As attempts continue to resolve a teachers’ strike which has dragged on for more than two months, President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski is seeing a sharp fall in his opinion poll ratings. According to a poll by Gfk for the national daily La República, President Kuczynski’s approval rating has fallen to 19%, its lowest point since he took office in mid-2016. The other side of the same coin is that his disapproval rating rose to 77% in August, amid the disruption caused by the teachers’ strike. Although Education Minister Marilú Martens reached a pre-agreement on raising teachers’ salaries, one group of teachers’ representatives led by Pedro Castillo has refused to accept a proposal that would force the dismissal of teachers who fail a professional aptitude test three times.
The survey showed that 85% of voters agree with the government’s insistence that teachers should face regular professional appraisal; however, 63% oppose the government’s plan to dock the pay of teachers who continue on strike. Another big majority – 72% of respondents, believe that the government has handled the teachers’ strike “very badly”. The full political cost of the strike has yet to be determined: Martens has been summoned by the opposition-dominated congress to answer questions on 8 September, and could still face a no confidence vote.
The shadow of Odebrecht
Meanwhile, the scandal over the payment of bribes by Brazilian construction company Odebrecht continues to cast a long shadow over Peruvian politics. Former President Ollanta Humala (2011-2016) and his wife Nadine Heredia, who face 18 months in prison pending investigation into allegations that they accepted a US$3bn Odebrecht bribe, have been favoured by a habeas corpus ruling by a regional court in Piura, which in effect suspends the arrest order.
At the same time, however, Peruvian prosecutors have confirmed that Marcelo Odebrecht, the company’s former chief executive, has implicated Keiko Fujimori, leader of the right-wing opposition Fuerza Popular (FP) party, in illicit activity. They are investigating a note found in Marcelo’s mobile phone which reads “Raise Keiko to 500 and prepare visit”. Fujimori’s lawyers deny that she ever received any money from the Brazilian company.