Perú

Run-Up to Peruvian Presidential Run-off

By Carlos Quintanilla

The winner of Perú’s first round of presidential elections, progressive Ollanta Humala, has explained that the purpose of the dialogues he has initiated with political, social and labor organizations is to offer the necessary concessions and to outline the principles upon which his government will operate, if elected. Round two will be on June 5th.

Humala, who received 32% of the vote, is pitted against conservative Keiko Fujimori, eldest daughter of ex President Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), who is currently imprisoned for crimes against humanity and corruption.

The April 10 primaries left behind a long list of defeated parties, including the ruling APRA Party and candidates whom they believed they were the favorites. The APRA Party got the 5% minimum needed to maintain legal standing, giving it four to six of the 130 congressional seats.

Radio Programas del Perú described as an electoral catastrophe the results obtained by APRA, the Party of current President Alan Garcia, who now seems to lean toward Keiko Fujimori. Stating that both she and Humala have strengths and weaknesses, he emphasized that the electorate must choose between a radical change in the economic model or a continuous social improvement. He supports the latter option.

Nobel Peace Prize winner for Literature , Mario Vargas Llosa, has announced that he will vote for Fujimori’s daughter because she poses less of a threat to free market capitalism than Humala. Vargas Llosa warns voters that Humala, of the Gana Perú Party (Perú Wins Party), is a proponent of Venezuela’s Socialism.

Carlos Quintanilla produces and hosts KPFK’s Spanish Language News Program “Noticiero Pacífica” which is broadcast over 90.7 FM on Wednesdays at 10:30 PM. Noticiero Pacífica is the only independent news program in the Los Angeles area focusing on Latin American issues. P.O. Box 761475, Los Angeles, CA 90076. E-mail: <mailto:notipaci@hotmail.com>.