PERU-
The Committed Christian Collective, dedicated to national transformation, conscious of the responsibility they have with the evangelical community and the Peruvian people, considers necessary and urgent to manifest towards the public opinion their viewpoint on the current politico-electoral scene and its challenges, says the Manifesto made public last week. “Conscious of the risk that implies handing our vote to the candidate Pedro Castillo, we assume this risk in free public consciousness and are inspired by the non-negotiables in the Kingdom of God: justice, peace, truth, integrity and solidarity, in tune with the demands of the population…”, they say.
Following is the fill message spearhead ny Pedro Arana, leader of the Peruvian Presbyterian Church; Dario López, Pentecostal Pastor of the Church of God in Peru and Víctor Arroyo, ez executive director of the CONRP-National Evangelical Council of Peru.
1. We find ourselves before two electoral-political options which is unexpected for the majority of the voters. On one hand, the candidate Fujimori was accused by the Prosecution of grave crimes like laundering, criminal organization, and the obstruction of justice. And on the other, Pedro Castillo, with unknowns about his plans in the government, who clearly needs to separate himself from people from his political surroundings who have issues with the justice system. In this scenario the decision we the people must take is not only political, but also fundamentally ethical.
2. In political circumstances like the ones referred to and, mainly, when facing the destiny of the nation, we are convinced that it is not about going with the so called “lesser evil”, but also with the option that implies fewer risks for the democracy and which guarantees – at least– an integral, just, solidary and human government at the service of the common good.
3. We affirm that Fujimorism does not guarantee a clean democratic exercise. Its history of arbitrariness, authoritarianism, corruption, deinstitutionalization, and instrumenting of people and institutions to cover their missteps, are enough evidence to not trust in the words or the promises of the candidate Fujimori.
4. Conscious of the risk that implies handing our vote to the candidate Pedro Castillo, we assume this risk in free public consciousness and are inspired by the non-negotiables in the Kingdom of God: justice, peace, truth, integrity and solidarity, in tune with the demands of the population, expressed in the first electoral round which demanded a substantial change to the economic model to attend to the real necessities of those historically abandoned and excluded.
5. We need for our compromise with democracy to not end with the vote, but for it to demand the citizenship to stay vigilant so the electoral promises are kept and so the country’s governmental democracy is not perturbed, and the integral well-being of every citizen is promoted guaranteeing the full exercise of their fundamental rights of health, education, and a job. In the coming June 6th elections, the Peruvian people will have to choose, between renovating our democracy or continuing with an antidemocratic project.
Corruption impoverishes and impunity debases, therefore we prefer to be mistaken supporting a candidate who presents himself as representative of the marginal sectors, before supporting a candidate compromised with corruption, impunity, and the interests of the great factual powers of our country. Us Christians are called to join in a fervent prayer compromised with God against the situation we live in and the challenges we face.
Translation: Massimiliano Tron F