Catalyzing change or perpetuating crisis? A SWOT analysis of the linguistic revitalization process in Peru

Peru’s constitution recognizes its multicultural identity, yet most of its 48 indigenous languages face extinction. This paper shifts from a static diagnosis of language condition to a dynamic SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of the revitalization process itself – the machinery of policies and programs designed to reverse language shift. We argue the state-led apparatus is systemically failing. Strengths like a robust legal framework and grassroots digital activism are neutralized by weaknesses such as chronic budget gaps and a crisis in Intercultural Bilingual Education (IBE). Opportunities from international models and economic synergies are counteracted by threats like structural discrimination and political instability. The paper proposes a strategic framework for the State, educational institutions, and the private sector to bridge the gap between top-down policy and bottom-up vitality, transforming symbolic multiculturalism into substantive intercultural citizenship and linguistic justice.