Why Washington Is Worried About Peru

[Judi Lynn]

Published on Thursday, June 2, 2011 by The Guardian/UK
Why Washington Is Worried About Peru
If its preferred candidate Keiko Fujimori loses to Ollanta Humala, the US will be isolated against South America's left governments
by Mark Weisbrot


In just a few days, on Sunday 5 June, an election will take place that will have a significant influence on the western hemisphere. At the moment, it is too close to call. Most of official Washington has been relatively quiet, but there is no doubt that the Obama administration has a big stake in the outcome of this poll.

The election is in Peru, where left populist and former military officer Ollanta Humala is facing off against Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of Peru's former authoritarian ruler Alberto Fujimori, who was president from 1990-2000. Alberto Fujimori is in jail, serving a 25-year sentence for multiple political murders, kidnapping and corruption. Keiko has made it clear that she represents him and his administration, and has been surrounded by his associates and former officials of his government.

Fujimori was found to have had "individual criminal responsibility" for the murders and kidnappings. But his government was responsible for many more widespread murders and human rights abuses, including the forced sterilisation of tens of thousands of women, mostly indigenous.

Between the two candidates, whom do you think Washington would prefer?

If you guessed Keiko Fujimori, you guessed right. I spoke Monday night with Gustavo Gorriti in Lima, an award-winning Peruvian investigative journalist who was one of the people that Alberto Fujimori was convicted of kidnapping. "The US embassy strongly opposes Humala's candidacy," he said. Harvard professor of government Steven Levitsky, who has written extensively on Peru and is currently visiting professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), came to the same conclusion: "It's clear that the US embassy here sees Keiko as the least bad option," he told me from Lima on Tuesday.

More:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/06/02-10

[Bacchus39]

1. I like how he cites his own articles, classic

and he says that the Colombia doesn't have an extradition treaty with the US. what????? he just makes shit up.

[naaman fletcher]

2. Well,

that better than citing "we've read reports".

[Judi Lynn]

3. Where did he say Colombia has no extradition treaty with the U.S.?

Did you read that or are you making it up?

If you have some time, would you provide your source for that information?

It would shed some much needed light on a subject which demands it.

[EFerrari]

4. Um, people cite their own work to direct their readers

to more specific material. All the time.