Peruvian Digital Groups Launch #PorAstNo Movement, Calling for Punitive Vote in 2026 Elections
Lima, Peru – A growing wave of digital activism is sweeping across peru, coalescing around the hashtag #PorAstNo (“Not For These”), a movement urging voters to cast ballots in the 2026 elections not for a specific candidate, but against the current political establishment. Fueled by widespread outrage over perceived corruption, legislative overreach, and a deepening economic crisis, the movement aims to deliver a resounding rebuke to lawmakers deemed responsible for the nation’s woes.
The initiative, sparked by a March 3, 2024 column of the same name by lawyer and journalist Rosa María Palacios in La República, is gaining momentum as Peruvian citizens express a sense of helplessness and a desire for essential change. Activists argue that simply waiting for the next election isn’t enough; voters must actively punish those they believe have damaged the country.
“It is the most important vote that we are going to cast in many years,” stated movement organizer Marco Quispe, emphasizing the meaning of the upcoming elections. He encourages citizens to express their discontent visibly, “show your outrage, with your shape, with your colors.” Quispe frames #PorAstNo not merely as protest, but as “an act of resistance,” highlighting the perceived erosion of democracy. “They take what they want, they steal, they destroy the little democracy that remains, they sell resources from Peru to illegal mining. And they do it with carelessness,” he alleges, referring to current lawmakers.
The movement is attracting support from prominent figures in peruvian arts and culture. Filmmaker Joel Calero describes the current situation as ”the greatest moral decomposition of the Republican era,” and argues that these initiatives represent “the only choice” to address it. He specifically condemned parties like Avanza País, Popular Renewal, Fujimorismo, and the acuña party for promoting the Tudela law, which he believes jeopardizes the future of young audiovisual communicators. he also sharply criticized López Aliaga, labeling his leadership “one of the worst [municipal] efforts in memory.”
#PorAstNo is leveraging existing online communities dedicated to political critique and past memory, including accounts like La Sala del SIN, Digital Salvaje, Memorex, Pequeño Vice, Keiko No Va, and Fujimorismo nunca Más. These groups are actively sharing data and amplifying the call for a punitive vote.
The movement’s organizers are committed to sustained engagement,stating they will continue their educational efforts until April 12,2026 – the date of the next general election. They are specifically naming lawmakers like Cavero, Muñante, Montoya, Barbarán, Rospigliosi, Chirinos, and Cerrón as targets of voter rejection.
The core message of #PorAstNo, as articulated by Quispe, is a demand for accountability: “I answer you for what you want, but have dignity, self-love, love your country and say for these.” The movement represents a significant shift in Peruvian political discourse, prioritizing a vote against the status quo as a means of demanding systemic change.
