Andina

Young people fought, made a change, and renewed hope for Peruvians

Young people demonstrate in Lima, Peru. Photo: ANDINA

Young people demonstrate in Lima, Peru. Photo: ANDINA

00:34 | Lima, Nov. 19.

The young people who participated in the March for Democracy, also known as the Bicentennial Generation, got together —with intelligence and vehemence— to make the change that Peruvian citizens were crying out for, providing society with an unmissable opportunity to build a better country, social psychologist Jorge Yamamoto has reported.

"These young people —whom I call 'Bicentennials'— belong to a generation that came up against the atrocities committed by Manuel Merino; they fought, made a drastic change, and renewed hope for Peruvians," he said in remarks to Andina news agency.

According to Yamamoto, a few things bring Peruvians together in such a way. For example, they do so when fighting against a common enemy or when the national soccer team plays.


This time, however, it has been more significant because "the enemy was a corrupt Government supported by abusive and repressive police forces."

"It (the recent situation) met all the conditions to awaken the most closed cohesion and solidarity in the human brain," he explained.

Yamamoto —a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) and visiting researcher at different universities around the world— noted that youth-led protests break with Peruvians' tradition of constantly complaining about a situation while doing nothing about it.


From now on, he said, there are two options: "to keep undermining others' positions, working in closed groups, and discriminating against the rest; or to take advantage of this situation to make Peruvians more united and less disloyal." 

The social scientist believes that this great political change —Merino's resignation— is a sign that we have broken Peruvians' habit of criticizing while doing nothing, so as to enter a consistent criticism stage, which can achieve further results in the medium and long terms.

(END) KGR/RRC/RMB/MVB

Published: 11/19/2020