El otro desborde popular: el voto analfabeto, los nuevos ciudadanos y la «crisis» del sistema de partidos peruano

Abstract

In Peru, during the important part of the XIX century, being illiterate was not necessarily a restraint to participate in elections by voting. The electoral reform of 1896 introduced as a general requirement knowing to read and write. The electoral participation of the Andean and jungle regions was diminished by this requirement. The rural zones were separated of the political system. During the xx Century that requirement was gradually eliminated in several Latin American countries. Peru was among the latest countries in doing that. This paper analyzed, on the one hand, the effects of political marginalization during approximately one century, during a period which was fundamental for the development of political parties; and, on the other hand, this paper analyzed the effects of changing this situation. By restoring the electoral rights to the illiterates and by incorporating new literate’s generations, since 1979, the controlled Peruvian political system was changed.