Democratic resistance against legislative abuse: citizen participation in the defense of the constitutional state
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18800/themis.202502.009Keywords:
Democratic resistance, Derogatory referendum, Legislative initiative, Legislative authoritarianism, Political rightsAbstract
Since 2016, Peru has been experiencing a gradual democratic erosion, driven primarily by the abusive power of the Parliament, which has resulted in legislative authoritarianism since 2022. From that point onward, the constitutional framework has been undermined, and laws have been enacted that violate fundamental rights and the most basic principles of the constitutional Rule of Law.
Far from proposing solutions contrary to constitutional democracy –typical of populism and autocrats– the author argues in this article that the most legitimate and effective way to confront this threat lies within the institutional framework itself, specifically through the mechanisms of citizen participation provided for in the Peruvian Constitution.
Therefore, what is proposed is the practical implementation of political and participatory rights so that citizens can develop a strong democratic resistance, particularly through the use of legislative initiative in its passive dimension or, failing that, through the abrogative referendum to remove unconstitutional regulations approved by Congress from the legal system.
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