Book Review: Estallido popular. Protesta y masacre en el Perú, 2022–2023, edited by Gustavo Montoya and Homero Quiroz

Abstract

This review examines the anthology Estallido popular. Protesta y masacre en Perú, 2022 - 2023 through events that illuminate its central ideas. In particular, it engages with the thesis of a social, cultural, and ideological framework—expressed in pervasive discourses—that enables the systematic harm of Andean and Amazonian populations. The authorities’ propensity to resort to lethal force, rather than foster dialogue and channel social demands, is interpreted as a structural logic, termed vital siege or disregard for life. The repression of rural community members demanding medical care during the pandemic illustrates the dual nature of this siege: non-lethal neglect by default and violent punishment against those who challenge the status quo. The review problematizes the so-called Peruvian miracle, suggesting that this dual siege perpetuates regional deficits in health, nutrition, and other areas despite the expansion of public revenue. Regarding the popular uprising, the review dismantles claims of manipulation and mental pathology directed at protesters, which strip the movement of historicity and deprive it of meaning. Finally, the review presents discourses from the 2026 electoral campaign that trivialize historical violence against Indigenous populations and legitimize their present-day exclusion.