Baraybar, V., & Gonzalez-Ocantos, E. (2022). Prosecutorial Agency, Backlash and Resistance in the Peruvian Chapter of Lava Jato. In S. Botero, D. M. Brinks, & E. A. Gonzalez-Ocantos (Eds.), The Limits of Judicialization: From Progress to Backlash in Latin America (pp. 314–340). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Peru’s chapter of Lava Jato became one of the region’s most far-reaching corruption investigations, ensnaring major political actors and exposing systemic wrongdoing. Yet pursuing grand corruption in politically hostile and information-poor environments presents deep challenges. Prosecutors must secure evidence while preserving due process, and the tools available to them—like plea bargains or pretrial detentions—often spark controversy. The chapter examines how Peru’s prosecutors navigated these tensions, showing how contingent choices and strategic improvisation frequently determined whether investigations expanded or stalled. It also traces the backlash that followed, including efforts by political elites and entrenched judicial networks to obstruct progress. An important feature of the Peruvian case was the existence of judicial clientelism controlled by senior officials, which forced rank-and-file prosecutors to maneuver within bureaucratic constraints to protect their inquiry. The chapter highlights how these prosecutors resisted pressure, mitigated backlash, and sustained the investigation, while also reflecting on how these struggles are likely to shape the future trajectory of Lava Jato in Peru.