When the private sector “makes” senior civil servants.The political-institutional construction of a porous boundary between “public” and “private” sectors in Peru

The corruption scandals of recent years in Peru have highlighted the existence of a politico-administrative system based on circulations between “public” and “private” spaces. This article invites us to look at these revolving doors beyond the single issue of conflict of interest, to consider what they reveal about the struggles and power relations that seek to preserve, or on the contrary to change, the legitimate characteristics of those who hold state power. More specifically, it seeks to link the study of these circulations back to the social and political environment in which they took place. The article also stresses the need to take account of the broader sociological dimensions underlying these movements, pointing out that strategies for professionalisation (and movement) are not the same depending on the social origin of civil servants.