A comprehensive analysis by the nonprofit organization Oxfam has revealed that the top 1 percent in Peru captured 42 percent of all new wealth generated between 2019 and 2025. The report underscores the widening economic divide in the South American nation and raises serious concerns regarding the authorities' ability to address mounting social grievances.

Alejandra Alayza, executive director of Oxfam in Peru, remarked that economic inequality has persisted at stubbornly high levels for decades. She noted that when citizens feel the same powerful factions always prevail, structural injustice begins to resemble a natural order, fostering a dangerous fatalism that society must actively resist.

Data from the nonprofit indicates that a mere 1.4 percent of the new wealth generated from 2019 to 2025 trickled down to the poorest 50 percent of the population. Furthermore, a perception survey conducted alongside the Institute for Peruvian Studies showed that 84 percent of Peruvians believe the country is run for the benefit of powerful special interests, while over 75 percent feel that wealthy corporations evade their fair share of taxes.

This economic polarization has unfolded concurrently with severe political instability, marked by a revolving door of leadership that has seen Peru governed by nine different presidents over the past decade. Analysts warn that repeated clashes between the executive branch and Congress, alongside weakening judicial independence, have severely eroded public trust and degraded the nation's democratic governance.

Source: www.aljazeera.com