Heated TV debate for Peru race

[Judi Lynn]

Latest Update: Tuesday31/5/2011May, 2011, 01:27 AM Doha Time

Heated TV debate for Peru race
Reuters/Lima

The two candidates in Peru’s tight presidential contest traded barbs in a heated televised debate a week before the election, each trying to paint the other as bad for democracy.

Right-wing lawmaker Keiko Fujimori said she thought leftist Ollanta Humala would seek radical changes that could hurt the fast-growing economy, or revise the constitution to allow him to run for consecutive terms.

“Why change the constitution? Why revise free trade pacts? Which of the campaign plans will Commander Humala use? These moves back and forth generate a lot of instability,” Fujimori said in their first and only debate on Sunday night.

For his part, former army officer Humala linked Fujimori to her father’s government, which collapsed amid corruption and human rights scandals in 2000 after a tough crackdown on guerrillas. Former President Alberto Fujimori was later sentenced to 25 years in prison.

More:
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=438019&version=1&template_id=43&parent_id=19

[rabs]

1. Humala slammed her but good

in the opening moments of the debate, citing the 330,000 forced sterilizations of campesinos and indigenous during the fujimorista decade. According to Lima media, Keiko seemed to lose her focus after that.

Three polls were published yesterday, with two showing a virtual tie, and the third with Keiko about 4 points ahead. By law, there will be no more polls in the six days left.

There are some reports that the polls are not taking into account what is described as the "hidden vote" for Humala. That would be the votes of the poor in Lima (and there are a lot), the indigenous in the altiplano, campesinos in the south, and in the eastern jungle regions.

Caretas magazine (the Semana of Peru) is reporting that the three-week-old protests in the key southern city of Puno could hurt Humala. But that may be part of the Peruvian media bias against Humala.

In Derechos' audio link, there was another video that said Jaime Bayle had been paid 800,000 U.S. dollars by El Comercio to smear Humala. El Comercio is owned by the Mira Quesada family, which is the Peruvian equivalent of the El Mercurio's Edwards family in Chile.

Couple of interesting snapshots from Caretas. (Translation mine)


1992. Humala, army capitan at the 313th (Madre Maria) counter-subversive base. He was commander of a battalion of 48 troops.

He is the second son of Isaac Humala and Elena Tasso, entered the Chorrillos Military Academy in 1979.

After serving in various parts of Peru, on Oct. 29, 2009, he sparked an armed (and failed) rebellion in Locumba (Tacna, in the south of Peru). He was demanding the resignation of President Fujimori and the ouster of the Montesinos cupula in the armed forces. That was the beginning of Humala's appearance on the political scene.

Humala later studies political science and serves as military attache in France and South Korea.

In the presidential race of 2006, he is accused of having been "Capitan Carlos." Humala was accused of torture and assassinations in Madre Mia in 1992. A Peruvian court closed the case for lack of proof in 2009.

In 2004, when Humala is retired from the army, his brother (also in the army) Antauro rebelled against President Toledo. The rebellion was brief and Antauro was sentenced to 25 years in prison (Fujimori is also serving 25 years).

-------------------------


August, 1994, Keiko is officially introduced at a Summit of the Americas in Miami as the First Lady of Peru after her parents divorced.

Daughter of Alberto Fujimori, Keiko began her political career at the age of 19, when she was named First Lady after her father divorced from Susana Higuchi (he kicked her out of the presidential palace).

Keiko occupied the the role of First Lady until 2000, when the scandal erupted against and he resigned the presidency (by fax).

In 2006 Keiko was elected to the national Congress by 600,000 votes. In April she got 23.5 percent of the vote to make it into the second-round runoff next Sunday.

[Judi Lynn]

2. It's good Humala brought up those many forced sterilizations. No possible excuse could cover that.

Can't understand why that news didn't make it to the U.S. other than Fujimori was well liked, white-washed, because he was so US-friendly. It should stop any Peruvian voter in his/her tracks if they only took the time to think about it. Clearly Keiko sees nothing wrong with the way her father did his job since she intends to give him a free pass out of prison.

Never saw these photos of both these people. Thanks for posting them. She looks like a total brat. Not a leader, a brat.

A lot can happen even within a week. Hope this ends well. Sunday is so close.

Thanks for the information. Very helpful.

[rabs]

3. Humala gets a break in Puno

Leaders of the Aymara protests against mining in the department of Puno (southern Peru) today announced that they will call a "recess" in the 23-day-old strike so as not to interfere with voting next Sunday.

This is important for Humala, who has strong support in the region. Stats show voters in Puno represent 4 percent of voters nationally, about half a million.

Humala won about 62 percent of the vote in Puno in the primary in April. Keiko got only 15 percent. Puno could be critical for Humala if he and Keiko are in a statistical tie, as most polls indicate. Keiko would have had an important advantage had the voting in Puno been disrupted.

The protest leaders said they would resume the protest/strike/road blockages/ next week if the government of Alan Garcia does not cancel mining/oil-exploration concessions in Puno.

------From the newspaper La Nacion of Santiago, Chile ----------

Perú: suspenden temporalmente paro en Puno para permitir elecciones

Nación.cl EFE
Con esta decisión, Ollanta Humala contará con los votos de esta sureña región donde cuenta con gran apoyo, restándole una posible ventaja a Keiko Fujimori, a quien le convenía que esta zona del Perú no votara.

Martes 31 de mayo de 2011 | Actualizada 19:41 | Mundo
Los huelguistas que hace 23 días mantienen un paro en la región de Puno, al sur de Perú, en contra de las concesiones mineras, suspenderán temporalmente las protestas para no afectar la celebración de la segunda vuelta de la elección presidencial del domingo, informaron hoy organizaciones sindicales.

Walter Aduviri, del Frente de Defensa de Recursos Naturales en la región sur de Puno, señaló que su organización suspende temporalmente el paro, lo que fue confirmado por la Confederación Nacional de Comunidades del Perú Afectadas por la Minería (Conacami).

Se trata de un “cuarto intermedio” (receso), señaló Aduviri, a la espera de que el Gobierno de Alan García, que el próximo 28 de julio termina su gestión, acceda a promulgar un decreto supremo para el cese y cancelación de todas las concesiones mineras y petroleras en el sur de la región de Puno, una de sus principales reivindicaciones.

“En eso no hay marcha atrás”, aseguró Aduviri, representante de la etnia Aymara, para luego avisar que si el Gobierno rechaza aceptar las condiciones del “pueblo aymara” las protestas se reanudarán el miércoles de la próxima semana.

http://www.lanacion.cl/peru-suspenden-temporalmente-paro-en-puno-para-permitir-elecciones/noticias/2011-05-31/194747.html

[Judi Lynn]

4. Good news. Not one minute too soon, either. I'll bet Humala's camp is glad to hear this,

as well as every other non-criminally insane human being.

That would be a horrible loss if they decided to continue the strike. Hope the conflict with Garcia will be fresh in people's minds as they go to the polls. It won't get better with Keiko Fujimori.

Thanks for the updates. Hope this will go the right way, with no successful dirty tricks from the fascists.