Peru’s left-wing new president pushes for a new constitution

IT WAS AN inauguration like no other in Peru’s recent history. Pedro Castillo, the new left-wing president, took office on July 28th following the narrowest of electoral victories in a bitterly divided country. But he delayed naming his cabinet until the following days, leaving Peru temporarily without a government. His inaugural speech was generally moderate in tone, promising “responsible change” in the economy and more money for health care and education. But he insisted that he will seek to install a constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution—the device used by left-wing populist strongmen such as Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia to concentrate power and hang on to it. For his inauguration he wore a collarless indigo jacket, seemingly copied from Mr Morales, as well as his trademark hat of cream-coloured palm fibre.