un lobo en Perú

Garcia holds comfortable lead, Apoyo poll shows

2006-05-08T12:30:00.000-05:00

If the more than 16 million Peruvian voters had to go to the ballot boxes today, APRA party candidate Alan Garcia Perez would prevail with 57% of the valid votes compared to 43% by his rival Ollanta Humala.

In the first Apoyo survey published today and conducted between May 3-5, four weeks before the runoff, Garcia holds a comfortable lead. Apoyo made also the most accurate prediction for the first round.
The survey showed a strong support for Garcia in Peru’s capital Lima (49%) wheras Humala only holds 27%. Limean voters are crucial, since most of them voted for Lourdes Flores in the first round.
The survey also revealed that 61% of the peruvian population have a negative image of Hugo Chavez, his expressions of endorsement for Humala seem to be counter-productive.

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Tags: Peru election election2006 candidates runoff Ollanta Humala Alan Garcia survey politics LatinAmerica SouthAmerica unloboenperu

Peru Election: Second Run-off Survey

2006-05-05T12:24:00.000-05:00

May 6, 2006: (Update)

Tyler Bridges wrote an interesting article in the Miami Heald last Thursday, analyzing why Alan Garcia is such a skipjack.

Ex-president earns shot at redemption in Peru

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May 5, 2006

Alan Garcia widened his lead against Ollanta Humala ahead of a June 4 presidential runoff race, according to a poll by Datum published today.
The survey of 1,118 people, conducted between April 29 and May 1, showed Garcia with 56% support compared with 44% for Humala. A previous poll by Datum 10 days earlier gave Garcia 54 percent, with 46 percent for Humala.
It seems that the latest headlining news from Bolivia's naturalization of oil- and natural gas recources - a measure that Humala is planning to do as well, although with a different approach - and the latest verbal tug-of-war between Humala's "mentor", Hugo Chavez, Alan Garcia and President Alejandro Toledo, have an overall negative effect on Humala's campaign.

When asked about the two contestants major strengths, 26% said that Humala doesn't have any and 18% acknowledged Garcia's verbal skills and forms of expression. Humala's major weakness seems to be the perception of being too violent and aggressive (15%), Garcia's image takes a major hit from his previous presidential performance (1985-1990). 32% believe this to be his major weakness and 16% think he's a liar.

45% perceived Humala's campaign as too aggressive, contrary to Garcia's campaign which is considered by 58% as creative, ingenious and witty.
39% said that they liked 'none' of Humala's proposals and plans for government, wheras Garcia received the same answer from 25%. Not a good outlook for both and it gives us another example for Garcia's titulation of being "the lesser evil" of the two.

(chart provided by El Comercio, click on pic to enlarge)

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Peru Election: Official Results

2006-05-04T07:36:00.000-05:00

This is the official result of the first round from April 9th, published yesterday by ONPE:

(source: La Republica)

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Peru Election: It's Official !

2006-05-03T14:34:00.000-05:00

FINALLY! Well... not exactly. There are still ballots to be counted but Peru's National Election Board, JNE, officially announced the second winner today. What everyone knew for over a week has become reality: Alan Garcia, Social Democrat, and not particularly successful in his previous tenure as president, will advance to a run-off with nationalist Ollanta Humala o June 4th, 2006.

"The remaining ballots will not produce any variation in the final results," said Enrique Mendoza, head of Peru's electoral board. In addition he informed that this resolution will be published at some future date, Thursday, in official Peruvian newspapers. Mendoza reiterated that this decision is for giving tranquillity to the population and so that both candidates and their supporting politic groupings can begin with their campaign for the second round.

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related news:

(by eluniversal.com)
Tensions between Lima and Caracas reached a climax following Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo's announcement that he would denounce his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez at the Organization of American States for meddling in Peruvian elections.
Last April 28th, Peru suggested it would resort to OAS, but they would not indicate whether they would actually denounce Chávez for his alleged violation of the Inter American Democratic Charter.
This case may be addressed on Wednesday at the OAS headquarters in Washington, when Peruvian ambassador the hemispheric organization Fernando de la Flor formally files a complaint with the OAS Permanent Council, AFP reported.

On Monday, Toledo further escalated tensions with Chávez, as the Peruvian ruler threatened to expel the Venezuelan ambassador from Lima. Last April 30th, Peru recalled its envoy in Caracas, Carlos Urrutia.
Toledo explained he made the decision to take this issue to OAS for this organization to urge Chávez to cease his comments on the Peruvian electoral process.

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Peru Election: A debate ... or not

2006-05-02T12:20:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 11.00am, Tuesday, 99.980% of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.624%
Alan Garcia: 24.325%
Lourdes Flores: 23.800%

The current difference between Garcia and Flores is 64,512 votes or 0.525%.

Meanwhile, the ridiculous wait for 100% continues. ONPE announced today that the official results of the first electoral round will be published "later today or tomorrow". Also, the results of the election for Congress will be known in about 10 days.
My advice: Don't take it for granted.
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After many roundtrip missiles have been fired between Ollanta Humala and Alan Garcia regarding the modalities of a televised presidential debate, it seems that we are finally approaching a solution.
Garcia abandoned his original proposal yesterday and accepted the terms raised by Humala, that a debate would have to include a controversy between the political advisors from both candidates.
Garcia previously insisted on a one-on-one debate between the presidential candidates only, since they are the central actors.

"Tell me what day and have Mr. Humala sit next to me. I will come with my future cabinet members and advisors and Mr. Humala with his. Perfect, then we are all satisfied. Just tell me the date", he declared in an interview with "RPP Noticias" which, by the way, is one of the possible broadcasters for that encounter.

Furthermore, although he intended to no longer speak on the subject of his verbal tug-of-war with Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, he revealed that Venezuelan delegates had invited him on more than one occasion to meet with Chávez in Caracas.
However, he declined. "I did not accept because I don't need to meet with the godfathers of a person who politically depends on them because I believe he doesn't have a sufficient preparation", he said, alluding to his assumption that Chávez would maintain a 'padrino' role for Humala. In addition, he objected to the lukewarm attitude of the UPP candidate towards the latest verbal excesses of Hugo Chávez, indicating that Humala behaved in "an absolutely complacient" way.
In spite of the tense diplomatic situation, Garcia was optimistic in respect to the future of the bilateral relations with Venezuela: "the bands of friendship will not be affected by these excesses, the indiscretion of words and bar language of president Chávez, who will eventually go away from power, when there are elections".

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Bolivia nationalizes oil- and gas resources

2006-05-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

May 4th, 2006 - Update:
This is today's cover of Peruvian news magazine 'Caretas':

May 2nd, 2006 - Update:

After directing the military to take control of natural gas fields and oil refineries, Evo Morales declared last night at the Labor Day festivities in La Paz that the "transformation towards democracy" in Bolivia has begun.
"This is only the beginning. The mining industry, our forrests, all our natural recources will be next."
"We are responsible for the Bolivian people, for the international community. For that reason we have decided, with pertinacity and also with humility, courage, with rebelliousness, to recover our natural resources", he added when presenting what he called "the best gift for this year's Labor Day".
Historically, the mining sector was the backbone of the Bolivian economy until the end of the 20th century, when the boom of the the natural gas industry took over.

In response to the events in Bolivia, Peru's president Alejandro Toledo said that the nationalization of all hydrocarbon assets was a "sovereign decision by Bolivia's elected leader Evo Morales" but as for Peru, the stimulation of private and foreign investment is vital to secure economic growth.
"If president Morales has decided to nationalize the hydrocarbon industry, it is a sovereign decision of the president who was chosen by the people. I am not going to comment on that, but in Peru I believe that we must stimulate private and foreign investment to grow and to make sure that the growth reaches the poorest", he said. Toledo indicated that each country chooses its own destiny, in reference to the course that Bolivia and Venezuela have taken, and added that as head of the Peruvian State he respects the decisions of other countries.
He added that in order to reduce poverty, which is his government's main objective, it is necessary that the economy continues to grow, because in his view this is the only way to generate more jobs and more resources for the state, with the purpose of dedicating them towards health, education and nutrition.
"Those are the most powerful weapons to face poverty", he said.
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related coverage:

Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas' "Off Topic" blog
Miguel A. Buitrago's "MABB" blog
Peru Election 2006
Spain hints at retaliation over Bolivia energy seizure (Financial Times, registration required)
Nationalisation fuels fears over Morales’ power (Hal Weitzman, Financial Times)
South America's New Hero: Indian, Coca Farmer, Bolivian President (Spiegel Online International)

Picture Gallery
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May 1st, 2006:
Today, on Labor Day, Bolivia's president Evo Morales has nationalized all of his country's natural oil- and gas resources by decree. The leftist politician announced that all foreign energy companies have to leave the country if they don't follow the new rules.
All international companies are obligated to hand over production to the national association 'YPFB' which will then take over all export related businesses. For those who don't comply with the new conditions their only alternative is to leave the country.
Morales put the army in charge of controlling the production fields to secure the oil facilities' operabilities so that the supply chain will not be interrupted.

Morales did not go into details during his speech. In previous announcements he repeatedly expressed that the nationalization of recources would not mean the confiscation or the condemnation of foreign industries. However, today he announced that the privatization process that began during the 1990's would be rescinded and the state will take over all shares currently held by international companies.
According to Morales, all foreign energy companies now have 180 days to negotiate new contracts with the national "YPFB".
The relatively small Andean nation of Bolivia holds the fifth largest proven crude oil reserves in South America, with 441 million barrels while proven natural gas reserves total close to 27.6 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) as of January 2004. When potential gas reserves are included, the nation has close to 53.3 Tcf, therefore bestowing upon the nation bragging rights to owning the second-largest gas reserves in South America, second only to gas-rich Venezuela.
Currently there are about 20 foreign companies actively involved in the energy production. The most important ones are the Brazilian 'Petrobras', the spanish/argentinean 'Repsol YPF', the 'British Gas' and 'BP', the French 'Total' and the US company 'Exxon'.

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Peru recalls ambassador from Venezuela

2006-04-29T19:19:00.000-05:00

The Peruvian government will withdraw his ambassador from Venezuela, due to the constant interferences by president Hugo Chávez in Peruvian politics, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Relations announced. This decision will become official in the next hours.
In the evening, Peru emitted a note of protest regarding the declarations of Chávez in relation to the ongoing electoral process.
Today, the Venezuelan president continued with his insults and described current president Alexander Toledo and Alan Garcia as "caymans from the same swamp".
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related articles:

Peru yanks ambassador to Venezuela (by CNN)

Peru withdraws ambassador to Venezuela (by Reuters)

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Little Mermaid starts walking

2006-04-27T15:49:00.000-05:00

Since ONPE and JNE are changing their minds on a daily basis in regard to the completion of the vote count for the first electoral round - today's announcement says probably May 10th, which results in a probable date of either May 28th or June 4th for the second round - I decided to take a little break from my daily newscasting routines and pick up on a truly inspiring, hopeful and joyous story instead.

Read this article published at CNN.com today.

Smiling, blowing kisses and taking small assisted steps, Peru's "miracle baby" celebrated her second birthday Thursday, nearly a year after doctors successfully performed risky surgery to separate her fused legs.

Milagros Cerron, whose name means "miracles" in Spanish, was born with a rare congenital defect known as sirenomelia, or "mermaid syndrome."

The condition is almost always fatal, but Milagros has not only survived but also grown into an alert, vivacious little girl who can pull herself from a seated to a standing position.

Here's to wishing young Milagros a happy second birthday and a normal, healthy, prosperous life as she continues on her miraculous path to a happy future.

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Peru Election: First Punches

2006-04-26T23:20:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 9.30pm, Wednesday, 99.45% of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.67%
Alan Garcia: 24.33%
Lourdes Flores: 23.73%

The wait for 100% continues. ONPE announced today that it will take until the weekend. The current difference between Garcia and Flores is 73,731 votes or 0.60%.

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The first punches were thrown yesterday in the campaign for president of Peru.
Ollanta Humala threw what many (especially APRA supporters) considered a low-blow. While campaigning in Trujillo, Peru's third largest city located in the north, he went to visit the grave of Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, the founder, father and grey eminence of Alan Garcia's APRA party.
No matter how hard he tried to say that his intentions were only a simple gesture of paying his respects to the Aprista leader, the followers of the star, Apra's party symbol, took it as a provocation leading to an inevitable interchange of insults and pushes with Humalistas. 'El Comandante' himself was greeted by a rough crowd with flying objects, mostly lemons.
Jorge del Castillo, Secretary General of APRA, accused Humala of being the provoker. "His intention was to generate this kind of reaction. I am not surprised at all that he infiltrates people who throw things at him, only to later blame us.", he said while adding that the UPP candidate conveniently forgot to pronounce when their supporters attacked Lourdes Flores in Huancavelica before April 9.
It is understandable that an election so polarized generates a tense climate that easily unleashes violence, yet inexcusable. On the other hand, Humala had to know this was coming and should have taken necessary precautions.

Alan Garcia today asked the militants of his party not to fall for the provocations of his contendor, Ollanta Humala, who is campaigning in towns in northern Peru since last Saturday, an area historically known as bastions of the Aprismo.
"I ask them not to pay attention to these provocations because that only contributes to what I have called the 'whitening' or cleaning of the candidate. Before the first electoral round he had a radical, threatening and violent message, and he is now showing his other, softer side to which it is not necessary to respond with acts of violence", he said. "Humala already showed his face of terrorism during the first round and now he is wearing his pacifistic mask for the run-off. We all know it was him who caused the violence when he placed his flowers at the tomb of the founder of APRA, though he never even read a book of this author", Garcia added.

The candidate of APRA also maintained that "surely" Humala is hoping to be attacked and then appear in front of the public as a victim, using that condition for the benefit of his electoral campaign.
"They (the Humalistas) have all hoped that there would be a bloody confrontation, they love when he presents himself as a victim of rock throwers. His own conduct of walking towards the people who reject and booed him had only the intention to generate an act of personal violence", he emphasized.

Doing !!!!!!!!!! Off to round number two.
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APRA wants presidential TV debate
Mercedes Cabanillas, congresswoman of Apra, insisted on a debate between the presidential candidates and not between official spokesmen or other representatives, as proposed by Humala's UPP. She said that the latter already have debated their proposals during the whole electoral campaign.
During an interview granted to Radio RPP, Cabanillas suggested that there should be several debates of the presidential candidates "because the people are going to define their vote between those two and not some party or other campaign officials".
She added that the second electoral round requires a comparison of governmental proposals and plans of government offered by each candidate for this country.
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Peru Election: The calm before the storm

2006-04-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 5.00pm, Tuesday, 99.17% of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.69%
Alan Garcia: 24.32%
Lourdes Flores: 23.70%

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Even though it is now clear that Garcia will face Humala in the second round on May 28th, none of them has thrown a punch yet and the light sabres have remained in the closet.
'El Comandante' and 'Mr. Second Chance' are going through their respective warm-up routines while waiting for the 100-percent result which, according to ONPE, will be accomplished by tomorrow.
So again we are experiencing the calm before the storm. Protective measures for a threatening volcano eruption create the headlines and the actual sabre-rattling happens elsewhere. In yet another showcase of a lingering latin american divide, the ever ambitious Hugo and his little brother Evo are spinning their knife grinders.

Peru signed a Free-Trade agreement with the USA a couple of weeks ago. Although widely considered (including myself) as a sneaky move by president Toledo and his legislation and criticized for bad timing 3 months before his abdication, it was a legally proper act. Peru had every right to sign this treaty, just like other countries have done the exact same. The deal still awaits ratification by Congress (in both countries) and follows the rules of the economic pact of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN).
Of course this prompted a rather childish reaction by Chavez, culminating in Venezuela's withdrawl from the Andean Community of Nations. His Bolivian puppy then went ahead calling peruvian president Toledo a traitor.
The peruvian response didn't take long. Alan Garcia, among other officials, already gave their 2 centimos during the last couple of days, and last night Alejandro Toledo strongly rejected any accusations by saying that he will not accept any kind of blackmail by foreign chief executives as a response on Peru's decisions and that the leaders of Venezuela and Bolivia should not look for excuses to resign from the 'CAN'.
"I understand that there are countries that do not need to open new markets because they have a strong income in petroleum, but countries of Latin America that are importers of petroleum have the obligation to generate work for their country. We are all responsible for our own destiny and shouldn't impose the decisions of each country by means of extortion." he said.
Toledo added that he will respect the decisions of Venezuela and Bolivia to leave the CAN but they should speak clearly and not making any excuses. "If they decide to move away from the Community then they should say it with clarity, without giving aloof excuses and evading their responsibility. Evo Morales is trying to handle a country in difficult situations. I respect that he's the head of state but will not respond to his statement. If Evo decides to follow Chávez, it is his option. I will continue working for the integration of Peru and Latin America".

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today's related articles:

Evo Morales' letter to Hugo Chávez (source: La Republica. In Spanish)

Presidential rivals do battle over Peru's history (source: Financial Times, Hal Weitzman)

At a recent rally in the northern coastal city, Mr García's speech was replete with references to Haya de la Torre (Apra's founder) and Apra's history. Rejecting the stark choice between completely open markets and nationalising industry, as threatened by his challenger in the elections, he told an ecstatic crowd: "Just as Victor Raul said: 'Neither Washington nor Moscow - only Apra will save Peru'."

Alan Garcia Leads in Peru Presidential Runoff Poll, Datum Says (by Bloomberg)

Peru's former President Alan Garcia would beat Nationalist Party candidate Ollanta Humala in a run-off vote for the presidency, according to the first poll to be published since the April 9 election.
Garcia had 54 percent of voter support, while Humala had 46 percent, according to a survey by Lima-based polling firm Datum Internacional.

Preliminary Comments to this poll by Max Cameron ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Humala again incriminated of Human Rights Violations

2006-04-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

According to an exclusive report by the Peruvian magazine 'Caretas', a former army sergeant, whose identity is not revealed, has given testimony in front of the investigating public procecutor which directly implicates Ollanta Humala, a.k.a. Captain Carlos, and his alleged involvement in murders and disappearances.

translated excerpt from the article:

The district attorney of Tocache, Arturo Campos, is known for his meticulous and patient work. In the last weeks he has interrogated witnesses, reviewed documents and carried out excavations to determine the veracity of the denunciations of human rights violations against Ollanta Humala.
His work is not simple. He has received multiple leads, but the public prosecutor has decided to follow any track no matter how improbable they seem.
This past March 28th (two weeks before the first election round) a distant military man offered his testimony to him. He is a sergeant of the Army and assures to have toiled with Ollanta at the counter-subversive military base (BACs) in Madre Mia in 1992. The retired army subordinate, now 35 years old, related ferocious episodes that, according to him, compromises 'Captain Carlos' in murders and disappearances. A judicial source said that the military man tries to take refuge in the effective collaboration, which will be only granted if his testimony is properly verified.
He has requested that his identity is not being revealed. The sergeant alleges that he was stationed at Madre Mia's BACs between May and August of 1992. It is officially known that Ollanta was the head of that unit from January until the end of July of that year. He was later assigned to other bases of the Batallón Contrasubversivo (BCS) 313 in Huallaga, and returned to Madre Mia in November. By the end of January of 1993, he went to the Artillery school of the Army (EAE) in Lima, according to his service record.
In June 1992, according to the aspiring collaborator, his patrol catched 18 terrorists in the Alto Huamuco area. But back at Madre Mia, he alleges, Captain Carlos ordered to execute them and to bury them in common graves. Some of the episodes that he related are frankly unusual. The sergeant continued with another instance that happened by the end of May 1992. Four terrorists were catched during an ambush. They were armed. When asked where they obtained their weapons, they mentioned "madrederos" or wood dealers and, in an act of revenge, the retired military man Ollanta planned a massacre. According to his testimony, Captain Carlos had the 62 wood dealers murdered. Among them, he insists, were kids, women and elders. He related that Ollanta made them dig a great grave in an area of the small village La Morada. "Once they did, they killed them all and they buried them right there", he says.

see this free excerpt (pdf file) here
(you need a Caretas subscription to read the whole article)

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Peru Election: The agony of defeat

2006-04-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 5.00pm, Monday, 98.461% of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.702%
Alan Garcia: 24.334%
Lourdes Flores: 23.675%

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Losing is tough, we all know that. Losing two in a row is even tougher.
Lourdes Flores hasn't picked up the phone yet to to concede defeat, but members of her alliance have.
Congressman Rafael Rey is the first member of 'Unidad Nacional' to publicly recognize the defeat of his alliance in the electoral battle for a run-off. The virtual member of the Andean Parliament also suggested vote for Alan Garcia because he is "the most viable option".
"I personally recognize the defeat and hopefully I am wrong and the final result will say the opposite, but no longer should we give the impression of not knowing how to lose", he said.

Meanwhile, political analysts are debating on the best strategy to defeat Humala. Mario Vargas Llosa, renowned book author known for his staunch market liberal views and APRA opponent, wrote an essay yesterday in EL Comercio suggesting the only possible way would be an alliance of APRA (Garcia) and Unidad Nacional (Flores).
"If the political forces that represent Garcia and Flores not unite, either one of them will be defeated by the military man who claims that Venezuelan commander Hugo Chávez and the ex-dictator of Peru, General Juan Velasco Alvarado are his mentors and role models.
The victory of Ollanta Humala would be a catastrophe for Peru and Latin America, a brutal regression in a continent that seemed on its way to democratization and away from the worst plagues of our past: 'caudillismo', militarism, populism and authoritarianism."
He indicated that, at this point, personal affections or political antipathies should not be the priority, but the defense of the democracy in Peru.
"Ollanta must be stopped in the second electoral round by means of a great agreement of all democratic forces."
Most other analysts however disagree. They warn that an alliance of such kind would only play into Humala's hands and reinforce his successful "everybody hates me", anti-establishment strategy.

I agree with the latter.
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rici provided a nice chart based on the ONPE snapshot of this morning (Monday), and
shows the projected votes for each candidate from each region: Lima, rest of peru, rest of the world. It predicts that Lourdes will close the gap by a bit more than 30,000 votes, leaving her some 50,000 votes behind.

(click to enlarge)

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today's related articles:

- Garcia looks set to face Humala in Peru runoff (by Reuters)
- Divided Peru set for tough election (by Hal Weitzman, Financial Times)
- Humala to face Garcia in Peru run-off (by Forbes)

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Peru Election: Do we have a runner-up?

2006-04-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 8.00pm, Sunday, 97.66% of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.73%
Alan Garcia: 24.33%
Lourdes Flores: 23.64%

Alan Garcia leads Lourdes Flores by 83,154 votes, or 0.69%.

The race for second place which qualifies for an electoral one-on-one on May 28th is all but decided. Since there are no extraterrestrial voters to expect who could change the outcome significantly, it will take Lourdes Flores a major miracle or a couple of rocket boosters to catapult her halfway to the promised land.
Humala and Garcia are already putting on their punching gloves and have resumed their campaigns by invading hostile territory trying to steal voters in each others backyard. Humala was in Trujillo yesterday, APRA country in Northern Peru, and Garcia tried to woo voters away from his nemesis in Puno, Humala's stronghold in Southern Peru.
The National Jury of Elections (JNE) will finish off the subject of solving 'actas' under observation, which would allow the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) to reach the vote count of 99.80 percent between today and tomorrow.

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today's featured links and related articles:

Max Cameron going out on a limb, then stopping short :-) :
How I predicted the peruvian election

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news in brief:

- The evacuation of settlers living in close proximity to the 'Ubinas' volcano continues. Farmers in the nearest town of Querapi offered their livestock to buyers at half price and boarded buses to the city of Arequipa, six hours away on poorly maintained roads. "There are no more cars, we need more vehicles so people can come here," an agitated woman balancing luggage and an infant said upon arriving in Arequipa.
"We have been in bad shape for days. The water and the corn, everything is contaminated," she told local TV. Livestock have been poisoned by eating grass coated with volcanic ash and some 20 llamas have died.
Regional officials said another 250 villagers and nearly 500 animals would be evacuated from Querapi on Saturday to a safer area nearby.

see video (in Spanish, MS IE and media player only)

- Today marks the 9-year anniversary of the end of the hostage crisis in the Japanese ambassador's official residence in Lima when on April 22, 1997, troops stormed in and freed all but one of 72 hostages held inside, ending a four-month siege of the building by anti-government 'Tupac Amaru' rebels.

read a recount of the events here (BBC.com)
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Peru Election: Foggy Friday

2006-04-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 9.05pm, Friday, 96.04% of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.82%
Alan Garcia: 24.34%
Lourdes Flores: 23.56%

Alan Garcia leads Lourdes Flores by 92,227 votes, or 0,78%.

Lima is covered by a dense fog this Friday morning but contrary to the weather forecast , the fog that hung over the presidential election results is slowly lifting and the picture of who will advance to the second round is getting clearer.
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I Am The Sum Of All Fears

Interview with Ollanta Humala, by German Newspaper "Die Welt", April 19th, 2006:

Q: Mr. Humala, how do you feel when you are mentioned in one breath with Evo Moráles and Hugo Chávez?
A: I am just a simple candidate and feel honored to be compared with such leaders who are highly regarded in their countries. We should not forget that Latin America is in a process of decay that its peoples slowly begin to detain, for example by finding solutions for the collapse of the neoliberal model. A new leadership has emerged from this situation and I feel as being a part of this latinamerican family.
Q: You identify with Chávez and his bolivarian revolution. What connects you with Venezuela's president?
A: If you listen to the current peruvian administration then I am financed by Chávez. Others say the drug cartells are paying me. I am the sum of all fears. I will not make Peru a Chávez subsidiary. We are a nationalistic movement, depending on no one. My paradigm is peruvian ex-president Gen. Velasco Alvarado because I am also military, nationalist, and my politics are aimed against the traditional regime that betrays the people.
Q: Is there really a "new left" in Latin America?
A: One can say there is a new left or an indigenous streaming or, as in Peru, a nationalism. The name is discussible. The important thing is, it is a movement against neoliberalism that searches for alternatives to solve the problems of the majority and to solve structural problems like foreign indebtedness, poverty, the level of education, the issues of energie and coca cultivation.
Q: Do you see the coca cultivation as a integral part of your culture, like Evo Moráles does?
A: Coca cultivation is really an important part of the Andean-american culture and fundamental for our identity. Thats why a forced, violent eradication cannot be the solution because it destroys the basis of income of 200.000 farming families. Instead we should seek profitable alternatives, formulas and mechanisms for a healthy exploitation of the coca plant.
Q: Your politics wants to combine social justice and nationalism. How does your nationalism look like?
A: Nationalism is the defense of the nation and an answer to the de-nationalization process, which is a result of the globalization that followed the victory of imperialism after the cold war. In this process some countries are globalizing other countries, just like we Peruvians are being globalized. Furthermore nationalism is a reassurance of democracy and its institutions, the fortification of the citizen.
Q: Globalization has no advantages?
A: Of course. For instance in communication potentials, health, education. But at the same time it is softening our sovereignty and destroys the cultural identity of peoples. In Peru it enriches those who control the economy and to impose their power by politicians to protect their interests.
Q: Do you want to nationlize foreign companies?
A: No. We respect private property and investment, we want for them to come and pay their taxes. We are in favor of international investment. However, in regard to strategic activities the state cannot renounce its ownership role. In the case of coal and gas the state has to able to co-manage. With 49, 50 or 51 percent. We will not give Repsol or Telefonica the chop, but we want the state to be a co-shareholder.

(conversation lead by Gonzalo Caceres for Deutsche Welle TV)

read the interview (written in German) here
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news in brief:

- The 'virtual' congressman of Lourdes Flores' alliance 'Unidad National', Walter Menchola, clarified that his party 'Solidaridad Nacional' has not split from the electoral alliance with 'Partido Popular Cristiano' and 'Renovación Nacional'. In talking to the press, he indicated that the future of this coalition will be analyzed after the results of the presidential elections are known.
(my take: sounds like a reprieve to me...)

- The ex-candidate of "National Restoration", Humberto Lay Sun, insisted that several anomalies and irregularities in the vote count to the Congress were discovered, which would exclude his party of a representation in the coming legislative. "We have found 50 errors in 50 'actos', this seems suspicious", he said in press conference.
Lay stopped short from describing the irregularities as fraud but he reiterated that the number of faults in the vote count are suspect. In addition he said that they are working on a revision of the count and that they hope that this will be concluded as rapidly as possible. "We are implementing personal computers to accelerate the process".
(my take: The evangelist minster Ley was one of the big surprises in this election, no one expected he would get that many votes. I truly hope his obections are well founded, otherwise it sounds kinda funny how people react when their party falls a couple of votes short. Well, I guess we've seen it before...)

- On Monday, April 24, the 'week of vaccination in the Américas' begins. Parents will be able to take their children to diverse supermarkets like Wong and Metro to be immunized against diseases like the polio, tetanus and hepatitis B, among others.
(my take: no word yet on how/where this this is handled in rural areas outside Lima. Inquiring minds want to know...)

(photo by National Geographic)-The 'Ubinas' volcano, located in the region of Moquegua 900 kilometers south of Lima, continues to send clouds of poisonous ash and acidic smoke up to 800 meters high into the air and raining ash covers towns in an 8 kilometer radius.
Locals have been wearing face masks to keep from breathing ashes and fumes, and some have even bestowed the protection on their livestock, as seen in the above image of a calf taken on Wednesday.
The first evacuations are under way.

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today's featured links:

a very interesting discovery by Max Cameron:
Peru’s New Cleavage: North versus South

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Quote of the day

2006-04-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

"I will defeat Humala at the ballot boxes. With Maradona or without him."
- Peruvian presidential candidate Alan Garcia, after learning that Maradona will come to a campaign rally in Lima in May to endorse and support his nationalist opponent Ollanta Humala (April 26, 2006)

"Are we an Andean Community or are we not? At least I'd call it bigamy - in our culture you cannot be married twice, you have to divorce first or at least be separarted."
- Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, after Peru signed a Free-Trade agreement with the USA, hoping that Humala will become peruvian president and nullify the treaty (April 26, 2006)

"I ask comrade and brother Hugo Chavez to save the CAN in the name of the peoples' struggle."
"I'm obliged to consider it out of solidarity with our friend Evo. I will reconsider if Peru and Colombia reconsider, too"
- Bolivian president Evo Morales on Venezuala's withdrawl from the 'Community of Andean Nations'. And Hugo Chavez' response (April 23/24, 2006)

"For years I've been saying that the Andean Community is dead. Right now, I'm president of the Andean Community. And what am I president of? Of a big lie. Above all now that Colombia and Peru have signed a free trade agreement with the United States, in this it's true that they finished killing it."
- Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez (April 20, 2006)

"No. I have never used the word admiration. I admire the life of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King."
- Ollanta Humala, when asked if he's an admirer of Hugo Chavez (April 15, 2006)

"To achieve the country′s dream, Peru needs twenty more years of growth combined with a strong emphasis on educational programs that are multilingual and multicultural."
- Eliane Karp de Toledo, First Lady of Peru (April 17, 2006)

"A woman who does not have children is an incomplete woman."
- Nadine Heredia, wife of presidential candidate Ollanta Humala (April 2, 2006)

Note: Someone read this post and had the idea of creating a 'quote of the day' section in the sidebar. Since I value my readers' input and suggestions immensely, I happily obey. :-)

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Peru Election: Garcia recuperating

2006-04-20T18:05:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 6.30pm, Thursday, 93.506% of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.825%
Alan Garcia: 24.337%
Lourdes Flores: 23.612%

Alan Garcia is recuperating from Flores' late surge and again increased his lead to 84.147 votes (0,72%).
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News In Brief:

- In regard to the announcement of Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, to withdraw from the Andean Community of Nations, Alan Garcia said that this can only be seen as "anti - bolivariano". He indicated that "it is the second time that a Venezuelan government breaks the unitiy that the liberator Simón Bolivar wanted for our Andean republics.

- Lourdes Flores confirmed that the mayor of Lima, Luis Castañeda Lossio, and his political grouping 'Solidaridad Nacional' - embedded in Flores' alliance 'Unidad National' for the presidential/congressional elections - expressed the intention to run separately at the upcoming municipal elections.
Flores, however, reassured that this will not have a splintering effect for the alliance in Congress, whatever the outcome of the current elections will be. "I am convinced that there will be no divide or cracking in our congressional coalition, that is clear", she said.

- The belching volcano 'Ubinas' had a major hiccup this morning shortly after 11 am.
A heavy explosion was registered, emanating a strong column of smoke, gases and ashes. This situation has created a great anxiety and preoccupation among settlers in the area and they requested to speed up evacuation procedures from regional government officials.

- In an attempt to dissipate one of the greater concerns that are hung over his candidacy, Ollanta Humala met with the directors of the Council of the Peruvian Press yesterday to reiterate his position with respect to the freedom of expression in our country and to clarify aspects related to the status of the mass media in a possible nationalistic government.
"We reaffirm the right of access to information for every citizen, the respect for freedom of expression, which is a part of our political, democratic project", he told the journalists.
In a virtual nationalistic government he asked to work together in the fight against diffusion of democratic values and corruption.
Lourdes Flores welcomed his comments and added: "I just hope he sticks to his word".

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Today's related articles:

The New York Times analyzes Latin America's Populist Shift and mirrors the sagging fortunes of traditional political parties across Latin America.

From Venezuela to Argentina, many of the traditional parties that built dynasties through patronage and hard-knuckle politics — but also offered stability, a clear ideology and experienced functionaries ready to govern — are disintegrating. Disillusioned by corruption and a failure to deliver prosperity, voters are increasingly captivated by new, mostly leftist movements promising to redistribute wealth, punishing traditional parties and turning political systems on their heads.

Nathan Newman at the TPM Cafe has a very critical opinion of the NYT article mentioned above (includes some very interesting comments, too):

Today's New York Times article has to rank as one of the most pathetic explanations of the fury from the impoverished masses in the streets. Except for a phrase that people are "frustrated with Washington-backed economic prescriptions," the article completely ignores the US government's role in propping up dictators and using international institutions like the IMF and World Bank to transfer natural assets to giant multinationals at the expense of the people in the region.

Miss Peru Universe 2006

2006-04-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

Claudia Ortiz de Zevallos wore the Miss Universe tiara 3 years ago. IIRC, last year Débora Sulca slipped on the stage during the show, unintentionally mimicking Sandra Bullock in the movie 'Miss Congeniality'. These beauty pageants have gained much popularity here.
Last night a jury elected Miss Lambayeque, Fiorella Viñas, as the new Miss Peru Universo 2006 in a televised show filled with bloopers. Voice filtrations, sound distortions -the music sounded like they were using pirate CDs- among other things. Lets hope last night was a good omen, that she will represent the country well and doesn't break a leg.

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Peru Election: You are with us or against us

2006-04-19T18:26:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 7.00am, Thursday, 92.31% of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.79%
Alan Garcia: 24.31%
Lourdes Flores: 23.67%

It seems that Flores' late surge came to a halt. Garcia widened his gap again to 73,403 votes (0,63%).

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"you are either with us or against us." Sounds familiar? Who says Ollanta Humala is anti-American, to the contrary. He even adopts one of Bush's main political strategies although used for a different purpose.
Humala stressed again this morning that his party is not looking for any "political marriage" for the second electoral round and instead offered a dialogue with those who "want to be added" to his nationalistic project.
"We, the UPP, are not looking for any political marriage. That was exactly the mistake of president Alejandro Toledo in 2001, marrying the 'Frente Independiente Moralizador (FIM) party of Fernando Oliveira, and we all saw the consequences. The peruvian people punished them and both parties have disappeared politically", he emphasized with a local radio station.
"El Comandante" also replied to those criticizing him for spending the Easter holidays with his family at a luxurious resort on the outskirts of Lima. He clarified that the expenses were paid by him alone, through his regular income as a retired commander of the Army.
"We do not see everything in black and white, we don't polarize. Perhaps the poor men cannot go to a relaxation place, but we are not looking for a seperation of rich and poor", he asserted.
According to the local newspaper who obtained a copy of his hotel bill, the cost per day of lodging in the relaxation complex where between 200 and 400 dollars.
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read this analysis "Peru's Populist Gamble" by Mark Engler, The Nation.

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Peru - USA Sign Free Trade Agreement

2006-04-19T17:30:00.000-05:00

May 1, 2006
Free trade hits another barrier (by CNN / Fortune)

No one disputes that Portman's replacement, Susan Schwab, is a talented trade expert. But she doesn't have Portman's clout, either on Capitol Hill or with foreign trade ministers. Without Portman's leadership, the administration may have trouble rounding up the votes to approve a number of trade deals, such as those Portman has inked with Peru and Columbia, to provide preferential treatment for goods from those countries and lower their tariff barriers to US products.

April 19, 2006
Señor Chavez is not amused (by bloomberg.com)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said his country will withdraw from the Andean free trade association because Colombia and Peru reached free trade agreements with the U.S. that make the group obsolete.
Chavez said in a press statement that the Andean Community of Nations, which groups Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, is "dead." Chavez is in Paraguay, attending a regional meeting.
"It makes no sense," Chavez said, referring to the Andean group. "We have to do something else."
The Mercosur trade block, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, also needs to be overhauled, or it will face the same fate as the Andean Community, Chavez said.

April 12, 2006
(by Bloomberg.com, read the whole article here)

The U.S. and Peru today signed a free trade agreement today that would eliminate import tariffs on each other's goods despite uncertainty over political support for the deal in both countries.
"This all inclusive agreement will promote increased economic activity and commercial prosperity for both our nations," U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman said at a ceremony in Washington.
Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo negotiated the deal but is stepping down by mandate in July and is set to be replaced by one of two presidential candidates opposed to the deal. The agreement also must still be approved by legislatures in both countries, where prospects for passage in each nation are muddy.
Lourdes Flores, who campaigned on pledges to support free trade, lost a three-way election this week. A run-off will be held next month between the remaining candidates -- former President Alan Garcia and nationalist Ollanta Humala -- both of whom oppose the free trade agreement because they say it would allow in a flood of subsidized American agricultural goods.

see also: article from the 'Washington Post'

April 11, 2006
(by money.cnn.com, read the whole article here)

The U.S. and Peru will sign a free-trade agreement Wednesday, the U.S. Trade Representative's Office said in a statement Tuesday.

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo and Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Alfredo Ferrero Diez Canseco will join U.S. Trade Representative Robert Portman in a signing ceremony in Washington, USTR said.

In January, USTR notified Congress that it had completed negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement with Peru, triggering a 90-day waiting period before the deal could be signed. It will then await approval from the two nations' legislatures.

Portman, eager to avoid the problems that the Central American trade agreement encountered, has been meeting with U.S. lawmakers to gauge support for the deal. Democrats have urged tougher provisions on labor standards.

Portman has said he is hopeful Congress will approve the deal later this year.

Toledo, speaking Tuesday on CPN radio, said many Peruvian lawmakers have taken part in negotiations and he expects his nation's Congress to approve the deal.

my take? Not so sure on that one, I assume many members of the new legislature will not be pleased with deal, to say the least. Including 'El Comandante" and Señor Garcia.
It is also a sneaky move by Toledo. He considers this deal to be a big part of his presidential "legacy", - if you can call it that way - and he thinks because his administration has negotiated it over the last couple of years, it should be ratified while still in office.
The thing is, nobody in Peru, including myself, knows a whole lot about its contents and short- and longtime effects and consequences. The government and the media have done diddly squat to communicate it to the public in a pro and con fashion. That is the reason why Toledo is fighting a referendum because it would certainly be declined by the people. Its like blindly trusting a doctor’s prescribed medicine, whether its cough syrup or cyanide….
How can you vote for something you don’t know nor understand? It could mean the economic death sentence for ‘Jose Fulano’ and ‘Juan del Pueblo’, who’s to say?

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Germany Agrees to Open Holocaust Archive

2006-04-19T09:26:00.000-05:00

In a dramatic policy reversal, Germany on Tuesday announced it would work toward opening the vast Holocaust archives stored in a small, central German village. Some 17 million individual fates may soon be open to historians and the public.

Opening the archives "will help genuine researchers and act to the disadvantage of the deniers, who treat the Holocaust as if it were a vast, undocumented fantasy created after 1945. Every true and personal story, every fate solidly documented, represents a small nail in the coffin of Holocaust denial."

read this article on how Germany continues to come to terms with the past here in Spiegel Online International.

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Peru Election: The Voice Of Mother Earth

2006-04-18T17:44:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 10.00pm, Tuesday, 90.99 % of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.83%
Alan Garcia: 24.32%
Lourdes Flores: 23.61%

Lourdes Flores continues to close in on Alan Garcia, the difference now being 79,838 votes (0,71%).

interesting stats:

The level of no-shows in the elections of April 9th reached 10.77%, which means a drop of 7.62% with respect to the 2001 elections (18.39%). According to the last report by 'Transparencia', the turnout was the third highest in the last 50 years.
Only the elections of 1963 (5.62% absentees), followed by the elections in 1985 (9,46% absentees) had a higher voter participation.
The number of valid votes on a national level arrived at 85.50%, the other 14.5% are blank and invalid votes.

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19. April - update:

At least 1,000 people have suffered respiratory problems from a tower of ash spewing from the Ubinas volcano in southern Peru, and 20 llamas have died after eating poisoned grass, a local official said on Wednesday. It continued to spit out ash and smoke on Wednesday, and the wind was carrying it north. In recorded history, Ubinas has never had a lava eruption, according to experts at the university of Arequipa in southern Peru.

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As the suspense for the race to second place is reaching its peak, even Mother Earth is getting a little nervous. Peru's most active volcano, the Ubinas, located approximately 70 km (45 miles) east from Arequipa (map) is spitting ash since late March. Last Saturday, an increasing gas discharge was followed by acid rain that lasted about 10 minutes, causing several families in close proximity to complain of respiratory problems and conjunctivitis. Explosions inside the volcano could be heard and a strong sulfur scent fills the air as dust clouds continue to emerge, disconcerting settlers and local authorities who are contemplating to declare a state of emergency in the area.

read the latest on the belching volcano here

(see video in spanish, MS IE and Media Player only, doesn't work in Firefox)
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Peru Election: two more weeks

2006-04-17T20:20:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 7.40pm, Monday, 90.49 % of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.86%
Alan Garcia: 24.34%
Lourdes Flores: 23.55%

Alan Garcia's leads Lourdes Flores by 89,969 votes (0,79%).

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latest news:

In an interview with Radio RPP, Alan Garcia asked his followers and supporters to maintain serenity, composure and to remain calm even though the margin of votes between him and Lourdes Flores grew slimmer.
He indicated that according to his own calculations of 91.47% of counted votes, a number that will probably be reached later tonight, the distance will continue to shrink. Nevertheless, he assured that by Tuesday morning it will start to increase again.
He pointed out that his strategy for the secound round will be to send a clear, ample message that will not exclude anyone and refrain from attacking his opponent because he considers this a negative way to do politics. Any speculation in regard to possible alliances with other parties are premature and should wait until all votes are counted.
As far as the ratification of the recently signed Free-Trade agreement between the USA and Peru is concerned, he suggested a calm approach as well, since it is possible that the Bush administration is also waiting for the results of the second electoral round.
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Magdalena Chu, head of ONPE, said last night that they have 'practically' received 100% of local peruvian tallies. They are still waiting for foreign tallies to arrive, mainly due to worldwide mail carrier DHL not working on Easter holidays.
In addition, the National Election Boards 'JEE'and 'JNE' will have to resolve all outstanding issues. The final official result may not be known until the end of April. The second round will probably be held on the last Sunday of May or first Sunday of June. She noted that the second round "will be a simpler process because there will be only two candidates".

Ollanta Humala again denied that he is an admirer of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and that there is no common political project to support this allegation.
He also defended the validity of his attempted coup in 2000, when the regime of Alberto Fujimori fell in misfortune. "I never wanted to arrive at the "Palacion de Gobierno", he indicated and assured that his armed revolt was to defend the democratic system, then in crisis.
In a strong language he discarded to be the "candidate of the Armed Forces", and preferred not to respond to the question if Peru, in a possible Humala government, would support UN resolutions against Cuba in regard to human rights violations. "This is something that we will have to touch with gloves", he added.
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side note: fellow blogger Simon noticed that

Interestingly, 137 Peruvians in New Zealand voted (for Peruvians, voting is compulsory). There were 112 in Auckland and 25 in Wellington. Overall, Lourdes Flores received 76 percent of the valid votes. However, in Wellington 17 out of 20 valid votes (85 percent) were cast for Lourdes, and no one at all supported rabble-rouser Humala. Who said Aucklanders were more right wing?

I guess from now on we can call Señora Flores Nano the "Lourdes of the Rings"...

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Peru Election: From Darts To Flowers

2006-04-16T11:04:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 9.00am, Sunday, 89.48 % of counted votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.90%
Alan Garcia: 24.38%
Lourdes Flores: 23.53%

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It was only until a couple of days ago when Alan Garcia and his APRA party and Lourdes Flores' Unidad Nacional were throwing darts at each other. Now, with the margin between the two getting even thinner, and the common goal of preventing Ollanta Humala's rise to power and the preservation of democracy, they exchanged the darts with flowers.
Representatives of both groupings are rebuilding burnt bridges with the purpose of finding the formula for a democratic agreement and common agenda that will follow the next president, whether it is Alan Garcia or Lourdes Flores Nano.
APRA general secretary Jorge del Castillo and the vice president of PPC, one of Flores' closest advisors, Raúl Castro, both point out on what is at stake for the second electoral round; democracy as opposed to authoritarianism, and for that reason they will look for an approach of democratic sectors.
One basis for common ground is obviously the challenging task of creating new jobs, mainly for young people. Previously, both parties have heavily critized each other for their respective labor programs to fight unemployment, lack of education and proposals for an integral health insurance coverage.

more of this ElComercio article here (in Spanish).

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Peru Election: The Easter Bunny Break

2006-04-14T16:37:00.000-05:00

Latest results as of 4.30pm, Saturday, 89.14 % of valid votes:

Ollanta Humala: 30.94%
Alan Garcia: 24.40%
Lourdes Flores: 23.44%

ONPE's emitted results of votes to the Congress in Lima, after 49,83% of votes counted:

Unidad Nacional (Flores' party) heads the list with 419.030 votes, followed by 'Alianza por el futuro' (Fujimoristas) with 410.376 and the APRA (Garcia's party) with 359.658 in third.

So far, Keiko Sofía Fujimori received 331.457 votes in Lima.

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Happy Easter everyone!

As I mentioned yesterday, the presidential election process headed back to the dugout for a few days and the Easter bunny is getting some at-bats as a pinch-hitter. This weekend peruvians are headed for the church instead of polling stations.

My amigo Max Cameron is using the break to write up a good analysis on the composition of the next Peruvian Congress. His focus is on the increased influence of the Fujimoristas, who this year ran under the official name "Alliance For The Future" and their main goal: a comeback of Alberto Fujimori.

Peru's New Congress and Alliance Politics

Also, Hal Weitzman, who writes for the Financial Times, created a great essay about current life and people's dreams in Lima's outskirts and shantytowns...

In Peru, children of rich and poor dream of leaving

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Peru Election: Focus on expatriate voters

2006-04-13T17:41:00.000-05:00

Thursday is the first holiday of a long Easter weekend in catholic Peru and many Limeans have left the city to spend a few days on the beach or visit family elsewhere. The elections are going to take a back seat for a few days, a much needed breather and a welcomed break to recharge the batteries.

Nevertheless, tensions rose and the slim margin between Alan Garcia and Lourdes Flores began to grate on the nerves of the contenders Thursday. The battle for a runoff place in Peru's presidential election focusses on about 200,000 votes cast abroad. With slightly more than 88 percent of the votes counted, Flores hopes that the ballots by Peruvians living abroad, which are expected to favour her, will be enough to cut Garcia's lead of some 120,000 votes. So far, only 12 percent of the expatriate votes have been counted.
But members of Garcia's APRA party have called on election authorities to annul ballots (around 110,000 votes) from Milan, Italy; Madrid, Spain; La Plata, Argentina; Miami and New York -- all cities with large numbers of Peruvian emigrants.
Jorge del Castillo, a leader in the Aprista party, showed a video in which Flores supporters could be seen handing out campaign propaganda outside a voting station in Miami, a clear violation of Peruvian electoral regulations.
"Serious irregularities have been committed in those cities, all of which constitute various causes under the law for annulling the voting at these tables," he said.
Flores said it was "an old strategy to annul ballots" and rejected the allegations.
"It strikes me as a bit of nervousness, trying to nullify voting tables where they have clearly lost with arguments that have no legal basis," she said, adding: "We're going to demand that every last vote be counted. I'm very confident that in the end things will turn out in our favor."
Flores also urged election authorities to include around 1.5 million marred ballots, which are either illegible or not filled in correctly, in the count.
Members of her party have questioned whether the ballots were held back on purely technical grounds.

"War Declared" ran several Peruvian newspaper headlines on Thursday, underscoring the increasingly tense battle between Flores and Garcia.
"The thing is so tight that euphoria and depression are going hand in hand with both of them," said Fernando Tuesta, a former election official who now runs a polling firm.
In the 2001 elections, Garcia came from behind in the final days of the campaign to edge Flores by a similar thin margin and qualified for the runoff, eventually losing to current President Alejandro Toledo.

Election authorities told Reuters it would take about 10 days to review and count the marred ballots and a final result would probably not be announced until the end of the month.

Perhaps Flores and Garcia would be good advised to follow the crowd and simmer down at the beach for a while and let the authorities do their job.

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Peru Election: Regional Results

2006-04-13T10:46:00.000-05:00

(Source: La Republica, click on pic to enlarge)
The picture shows the current results by peruvian regions of last Sunday's election.

Three days after the elections, and with 87.836% of counted votes (according to the last update of the ONPE, as conducted yesterday, 3pm), the political map of Peru is defined.
Ollanta Humala and the UPP amassed 30.99% nationwide and won in 18 of 25 peruvian regions which covers 72% of national territory. The rest is APRA (Alan Garcia) territory (6 regions), and in the department of Lima Lourdes Flores and the UN gained the most votes.
Humala surpassed the 50% barrier in the regions of Apurímac (57,362%), Ayacucho (62,602%), Cusco (57,025%) and Huancavelica (59,257%).
Alan Garcia and APRA, traditionally strong in Northern Peru, won the regions of La Libertad (54,034% ... pls. disregard the obvious error on the map ), Lambayeque (37,204%), Ancash (31,868%) and Piura (32,640%). He surprised in Ica (34,864%) and won in Callao (30,783%) by less that 1% of the votes.
Flores not winning Callao, considered a Lima suburb, is the actual surprise of this election, in my opinion, and has to be a major disappointment for her.

With this data on hand Alan Garcia's hypothesis, that his percentage will increase with the ongoing count of rural votes, seems manifested, because in three of the provinces that form the bastion of APRA; Lambayeque, Ancash and Piura, the count of votes has not yet reached 100%.

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Peru Election: Race To The Finish Line

2006-04-13T08:10:00.000-05:00

update (Thursday, 8.00 am, local time):

after 88,31%of votes are counted:

Humala: 30.99%
Garcia: 24,42%
Flores: 23,34%

current results from voters abroad:

After 10.6% of submitted votes have been counted

Lourdes Flores 62.25%
Ollanta Humala 11.69%
Alan Garcia 10,21%
Martha Chavez 9,51%

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latest news:

Ollanta discards political alliance
Ollanta Humala and the UPP are not planning to seek a political alliance with any other grouping for the upcoming second round. "We are not thinking about creating an alliance with any other political grouping. We continue to work on our united political project and look for the social majority based on concrete, precise proposals", he declared during a press conference in which he also commented on the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, which was signed today.
He reiterated not to be against the FTA, but that it has been badly negotiated. "This treaty must happen through the referendum order and therefore we call on the present Congress to decline its ratification".

this is CNN's take on it

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After a crueling race with many yellow flag periods, crashes and retired cars, there are only 15 laps left in the Peruvian 500 at Inca Motor Speedway!

Tough rookie Ollanta Humala's car of the low-budget Team UPP is running smooth, he changed all 4 tires during his last pit stop a while ago, and is now cruising towards the finish line in first place. I just saw him waving optimistically to the cheering bleacher crowd where most of his loyal fans are... he can afford it after creating quite a comfortable gap.

The battle for second place however is as close and competitive as it gets.
Alan Garcia, the veteran from Team APRA, delivered a very good race so far, exceeding expectations from the get-go. He was able to keep his car's nose in Flores' gear box right from the start and waited patiently for his opportunity. And it payed off. Some 40 laps ago he charged ahead into second place in a rather unspectacular move, overtaking Flores in turn 3. The reason may well be his new aerodynamic, wind-channel tested, Armani racing suit that works as his lucky charm. Cameras showed his wife Pilar and his children biting their fingernails in tense excitement.

Lourdes Flores, driving for wealthy Team UN, ran in second for most of the race, keeping Garcia in her rear-view mirror. However, she has lost her 6th gear in lap 410 and the mechanics crew wasn't able to fix it. To make matters worse, one can notice an occasional puff of white smoke coming out of her engine... not a good sign. However, she's trying desperatly to stay in Garcia's slipstream and hoping for a late surge. Racing fans are speculating about a secret little red button they saw on her dashboard which many believe will ignite some sort of turbo effect. So far it isn't working and her international sponsors (Starbucks, TGIF, KFC, Nestle, BMW and others) are getting nervous and start wondering if she has it in her.

14 laps to the checkered flag, then we will know which two cars are headed for an all decisive match race in a few weeks, and who will climb the fences and drink / spill the milk in the winner's circle at Peru's brickyard.

only 13 laps to go.........

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late add-ons:

Alvaro Vargas Llosa: Peru - A Fox Guarding The Hen House?

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Peruvian Produce inceasingly popular in Germany

2006-04-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

My mother in Germany always tells me how much she likes Peruvian asparagus. Spring time in Germany means that the asparagus obsession reaches its peak.
A report by the Dutch "FreshPlaza.com" informes us that exports of produce from Peru to Germany have increased by 7%, compared to 2004. The exports increased from $27,24 mil. to $29,04 mil., according to the Peruvian embassy in Berlin.
Quite striking is the increase of exports of fresh tropical fruits, which have increased with $6,47 mil. in 2004 to $10,05 mil. in 2005. Peru is the third leading supplier of fresh mango in Germany.
Also the exports of bananas to Germany has increased strongly. The export value of $6,24 mil. signifies an increase of 200%. Meanwhile the avocado exports have developed to the point where Peru is the fifth biggest supplier in Germany. In spite of a decrease in the German demand for asparagus, Peru realized an export increase of 16% to 1500 MT and 6,7 mil.

Gotta love that.

Now if only the bureaucracy in Peru and the astronomical shipping costs from Incaland would decrease to a world wide standard, even I would consider investing in an export business of some sort or start thinking about my own eBay shop. Have you ever tried to send one CD to the US or Europe? With UPS or DHL perhaps? You are in for a BIG surprise!

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Peru Election: The Day After

2006-04-10T19:13:00.000-05:00

update (10:00pm local time):

after 80,68%of votes are counted:

Humala: 30.24%
Garcia: 24,93%
Flores: 24,03%

PS: As of now, the Fujimoristas a.k.a. 'Alianza para el Futuro' has won around 15 seats out of the 120 seats in the next congressioinal parliament. The party is certain to become the fourth-largest party in the next legislature.
The daughter and brother of Alberto Fujimori followed the disgraced former president into Peruvian politics.
His daughter, Keiko Fujimori, 30, and his brother Santiago have both secured a seat in what will be a divided Congress according to the latest results. Keiko has gained support from 23 percent of eligible voters in the Lima constituency, easily topping the 7 percent for the runner-up candidate, according to a pre-election poll.

Analysts say the pro-Fujimori party apparently gained ground thanks to appeals to voters by Keiko, who is popular among Peruvian people, and Fujimori's wife Satomi Kataoka, who drew attention for marrying the former president last Thursday.

more articles on Keiko Fujimori:
Fujimori's daughter poised to win in Peru (Seattle Times)
For love's sake, he's sharing his first lady with Peru (New Jersey.com)

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update (5:00pm local time):

after 75.64%of votes are counted:

Humala: 29.65%
Garcia: 24.95%
Flores: 24.69%

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update (3:00pm local time):
Alan Garcia is now in 2nd place by a slim margin. The latest results by ONPE, after 73.587% of the valid votes:

Humala: 29.53%
Garcia: 24.98%
Flores: 24.89%

PS: The official results web site by ONPE is still not working. Also, Lloyd Axworthy, chief de mision of the OAS delegation observing the election, presented his closing report on the electoral process at a press conference this afternoon. He informed that the elections were held in a clean way and is transparent, despite incidents registered at national level and candidates violating the propagandistic silence period.

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update (12:26pm local time):

The race for second place is a 'dead heat' and only getting tighter. The latest results by ONPE, after 70.8% of the votes have been counted:

Humala: 29.19%
Flores: 25.29%
Garcia: 24.98%

PS: The official results web site by ONPE has been flooded with requests all morning and their server is having trouble keeping up, but seems to be improving now.

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(8:36 am local time)

The National Office of Procesos Electorales (ONPE) updated the latest official projections of the presidential elections this morning. After counting 67,29% of the votes, the uncertainty increased as to what candidate will accompany Ollanta Humala into the second round, a runoff between the two leading vote getters, which will be scheduled after the official voting results are published; in all probability at the end of May/ early June.
The difference between Lourdes Flores (25.78%) and Alan Garcia (25.07%) is a miniscule 0,71%. Ollanta Humala on the other hand gained 28,70% of the votes as of this moment.
Martha Chavez, representing the Fujimoristas, has 6.42%, ex-interim president, Valentin Paniagua, 6.17% and evangelical theologist, Humberto Lay, 4,33%.
Humala, as expected, gained most of his votes in the rural Andean mountain regions. For example in Cusco, the ancient Incan capital, he reached approx. 65%.

First reactions by all three leading candidates were marked by gratefulness and optimism.
"We wait for the results of the ONPE with absolute serenity. The differences are too marginal. I am very confident to reach the second round", Alain Garcia told the crowd in front of the APRA headquarters.

Lourdes Flores was also very optimistic: "All the surveys and first preliminary results that have been made public as of this late, as well as the official projections, make us very optimistic, but we will wait calmly and with hope for the official results of the ONPE which, I am sure, will arrive in a few hours".
She expressed that Peru needs a miracle, today more than ever, and that all Peruvians will be able to wait for the hand that creates unification among the people. "I tell you, since I have done it throughout this campaign, our fight will be against the great enemy of Peru that is poverty and exclusion and we will defeat them together by going to the second round. That is my promise and as a woman I commit myself to fulfill it".

Ollanta Humala and his wife Nadine Heredia thanked supporters from his balcony in Surco. "Thanks, thank you very much for your confidence in me. The Peruvian people expressed its will for change, and we can now celebrate the great transformation of the country and an economy which will service the people. We did a great job, and I am thankful for that reason, a job that was done in a heroic way, with low resources. Many desire to construct a future for our children".
In contrast to his speech at noon, where he denounced a series of irregularities, he requested calm waters and to refrain from hatred and resentments. "We cannot yield to those provocations created by violent agitators. We need to construct peace and reconciliation. I do not want to create hatred towards those who do not think like us. I ask the same from the people who have differences with us not to hate us. I believe in democracy, I believe in institutions. I want peace and tranquillity", he affirmed slightly moved.
His wife extended their gratitude towards the mothers and young people who collaborated throughout the campaign. "We knew that each Peruvian heart beats with a feeling of nationalism. I want to be thankful, first of all, to the heroic mothers who have fought with us and to the nationalistic young people who, with low resources, mobilized everything possible. In the name of my family and my daughters, thank you so very much", she added.
Side note: After constantly critizing the neo-liberal economic model and free trade and being adamant in decreasing imports of foreign products and promoting peruvian manufacture instead, I thought it was funny that his wife was wearing a red 'Puma' t-shirt all day.

see also:
Left in limbo: Will Ollanta Humala take Peru the way of Venezuela? (by Max Cameron)

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Peru Election: Official Results (45% of all votes)

2006-04-09T23:21:00.000-05:00

Unofficial projection released by ONPE at 11:00 PM local time, after approx. 45% of the votes have been counted nationwide:

Ollanta Humala: 27.32%
Lourdes Flores: 26.45%
Alan Garcia : 26.05%

Apoyo still predicts a 30/25/25 percentage for Humala, Flores and Garcia respectively.

The results show how polarized the people of Peru really are. Basically we have a three-way tie at this point. Results from voters abroad basically reflect the same.
Supporters at campaign headquarters of all three leading candidates are celebrating, the mood is festive.
Contrary to other democratic countries where the candidate with the most votes wins no matter what, here it feels more like participating in a sports tournament where the best two teams have reached the final. The quality of play, the way how they got there doesn't seem to matter. It's more like "hey, we're in the final, from now on all bets are off", something like that. Ollanta won the first semi-final, so it seems. The other semi-final is headed for overtime and, possibly, penalty kicks.

We're in for a long night.

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Peru Election: Exit Poll results

2006-04-09T15:31:00.000-05:00

Exit poll results according to peruvian TV stations (4:01pm):

Ollanta Humala: 30 %
Alan Garcia : 25 %
Lourdes Flores: 25 %
V. Paniagua : 7 %
Martha Chavez : 5.0 %
others : 8.0 %

For Congress:

APRA (party of Garcia): 23%
UN (party of Flores): 22%
UPP (party of Humala): 19%
AF (Fujimoristas): 9%
FC (party of Paniagua): 8%

incoming updates will be published as soon as possible.
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Humala's gauntlet to the voting booth

2006-04-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

Quick live update:

It sure isn't easy for a presidential candidate to represent the poor and underpriviledged and, at the same time, have his own private residence in a posh neighborhood in Lima, among the so-called elite, the very people he pledges to fight.

When Ollanta Humala and his wife started their short walk from their home to the polling station at the University Ricardo Palma in Surco this morning, the scene turned ugly. They had to walk the gauntlet of a few thousand people chanting "asesino, asesino", calling him "the assassin". The few people chanting the obligatory "Ollanta for president" were clearly outnumbered, they didn't stand a chance.
I have never seen anything like it. People are throwing plastic cups and other garbage at him and he is now trapped inside the University. Police squads in riot gear are trying to calm the crowd and to figure out a way for a save exit.

In stark contrast, unpopular current president Alejandro Toledo, who is not eligible for a second term, voted in the same neighborhood at the exact same time and there was hardly a single soul to accompany him. Basically no one gave a damn.

Almost Surreal. Stay tuned..

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Election Day: The Crux Of Living Abroad

2006-04-08T17:22:00.000-05:00

So tomorrow is the big day, Election Day! My wife and I are going to the polling station early in the morning, its only a short walk away from our apartment, and then spend the rest of the day with family, discussing the 'maybe's and maybe not's'.
It is mandatory in Peru to vote. If you don't you pay a fine. If you are a Peruvian citizen and live somewhere abroad, you either pay the fine or you are in for a little countryside trip, and make sure you filled that tank in your car.

This article gives us a nice example of the crux of living abroad:

Thousands of Peruvians in New Jersey aren't just expected – they are required – to vote in their homeland's elections on Sunday. And many of them aren't happy about it.

"It's abusive," said Daniel Jara, of Hackensack, who heads the statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "With all the money we send back to Peru, we are still treated like second-class citizens."

While some Peruvians view compulsory voting as a good idea to promote democracy, many resent the fines they are required to pay when they fail to vote, especially when their government doesn't provide accessible voting sites.

More than 24,000 Peruvians in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are eligible, but they all have a single polling site -- at Eastside High School in Paterson.

The issue is so pertinent that it motivated Jara, a Peruvian-American, to become the first person to run for the Peruvian Congress from abroad.

read more here

(published at NorthJersey.com by Miguel Perez)

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Silence Is Golden

2006-04-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

After watching the final, pompous campaign rallies of Garcia, Flores and Paniagua live on TV last night -Humala's was the night before -, I woke up this morning to a sunny, warm and very quiet Friday morning. It seems like the Easter holidays have arrived early. No more snail-pacing VW Beetle convertibles with blaring loudspeakers promoting the various presidential and congressional candidates. Even the radio- and TV stations are broadcasting in a rather exhausted, somber mood and have shifted their focus and attention more to the outside world which obviously didn't stand still during the last months.
By peruvian electoral law, the sale of alcohol and carrying weapons is strictly prohibited since midnight until midday on Monday. Voter surveys can no longer be conducted. On Election Sunday politcal gatherings within a hundred meters (110 yards) of a polling station are not allowed.

Somehow it feels like being in the eye of a hurricane, the only difference is it will last 3 days and there will be no rain. Not sure how the aftermath will look though.

Time to forget about politcs, turn off the TV, stay away from newspapers and Google search and enjoy a little solitude for 2 days. Finally I will have some time to burn those two mp3-CDs for my brother's 50th birthday. I hope they will arrive in Germany in time, only 2 weeks left ...

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Ollanta Humala - Quotes

2006-04-06T18:10:00.000-05:00

15. April, 2006:

- "I have never used the word admiration. I admire the life of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King." (when asked by Andres Oppenheimer if he's an admirer of Hugo Chavez)

- "It's a concept I use in a non-authoritarian and democratic sense. Nationalization doesn't mean state takeovers. It doesn't mean expropriations. Those are methodologies of the '70s. What I'm talking about is giving the state a larger role through tax collection, royalties, income taxes, even through an increase in state stock ownership, if the state is able to invest." (when asked about the meaning of his vow to "nationalize" the economy)

12. April, 2006:

- "Our position is firm. Peru is still on time of not committing this tremendous error." (on today's signing of the Free-Trade-Agreement betw. Peru and the USA by president Toledo)

11. April, 2006:

- "It is irrelevant. It is as if you asked me if I prefer that it rains or that it is sunny." (asked about his preference of either facing Garcia or Flores in the second electoral round)

- "We are the first force in the presidential election, in the National Congress and in the Andean Parliament. We won 3:0."

- "We are going to respect private property, we do not want traumatic shocks. I would say to them that they read our program and our proposals. I also assure that we will respect foreign investments and the freedom of expression".

- "If your mother says that you used diapers until you were 10 years old, how would you think of that? My family is not part of this project. My mother is my mother, I love her, but she is not part of the project. What can I do? All that is part of the dirty campaign. And you (the journalists) only ask me about that. If you want, I can present/display to you the other members of my family, I have many cousins. If my mother says that she is going to shoot extraterrestrials, that is not my problem, I do not share those ideas, don't accept any type of discrimination, not even on the part of my parents". (when asked about his opinion on statements made by his mother and brother Antauro to shoot homosexuals and execute current president Toledo)

4. April, 2006:

- "If Lourdes Flores wins the election, the same will happen to her as what happened with presidents of other Latin American countries; they were removed by the people. I believe it will be very difficult for Lourdes Flores to govern even one year.
The transformation of the country is inevitable with respect to democracy and liberty. If that does not happen, this country runs off the road. Can you imagine a government of Lourdes Flores? I believe that she doesn't last a year".

- "No candidate who represents continuity including Mr. Alan Garcia will stay a whole year if he does not attend to the social demands of the population. Anyway, we are not going to protest in the streets because we will win on the first round".

2. April, 2006:

- "I belong with those downstairs". (on ideology identification and rejecting being labeled as 'left wing')

- "I don’t believe in the right wing/left wing confrontation. That ended when the two empires (US and USSR) confrontation was over. What we have now in the world are 'globalizing' countries and 'globalized' countries."

- "The change will come through nationalism and this proposal is an invitation to the so-called 'left wing', to Peruvian businessmen and the right wing sectors which are suffocating with the neo-liberal model. We’re going to crack the current model. We want bosses and workers to have lunch together in the factories dining rooms."

- "They’ve launched a scare campaign against my group. It’s a classic fear campaign, but who really are scared are those who fear we’ll change the commodities exporting model which has only brought misery, poverty and exclusion to Peru."

- "We've been exploited for more than 500 years by the Spaniards and now by the multinationals, some of which don't even pay taxes or royalties. This has to change.
Our first step will be to sit down with all parties and try to reach agreements. Let's hope all this will work out. If not, we'll reconsider our next steps."

- "Soldiers are the sons of poor people, and I have worked with them for 24 years. That's why I have a bond with the people. I have lived in poor villages without water or electricity, and I was fine. I don't think other politicians know how to do that."

1. April, 2006:

- "We nationalists are going to found a new country. Who is afraid of change? Are the people afraid of change? No! Those who are afraid are the ones in power because they know if the nationalists get to power, Peru will change."

- "They are free to express ideas, but I reject them. My family is the people. The Humalas come second." (his response to statements made by family members, to shoot all homosexuals in the street to rid Peru of immorality (his mother), to amnesty 'Shining Path' terrorists (his father) and the demand to execute current president Toledo, his wife and followers (his brother), among other racist remarks.)

- "We will build an alternative model to this neo-liberal model. The neo-liberal economic model is finished, it hasn't been the country's economic needs. There's been growth, but no development."

- "I have not violated human rights. This is coming out in the context of Ollanta Humala being the No. 1 candidate nationally."

31 March, 2006:

- "The people are waiting for change, they are desperate. The division in this country is not right versus left, but the powerful business elite against the rest. We have to be aware of the people who don't have anything. Politicians have to realise the country is more than just Lima. "

- "We are not anti-United States, we are not anti-Chile, we are not anti-Bolivia. We are not anti."

- "We’re concerned with all the arms purchases of Chile, when I believe the priority for Latin America should be development, education, health."

- "We have a spurious constitution. I would propose a Constitutional Assembly to write a new constitution." (He denied he would change the law so he could seek a second term)

- "All miners will have to pay royalties. They must pay royalties to share the country's resources with the poor. Our motherland is not for sale."

- "I'm not homophobic. In the 21st century I don't think anyone should be discriminated against for such preferences or options, whatever word you want to use." (on homosexuality)

29. March, 2006

- "We can't sign a trade pact with the United States when we don't fully know what our government has agreed. It will ruin our farmers, our people. We're not against trade and integration, but we won't be walked all over either."

24. March, 2006

- "I have commanded soldiers. Now I want to command the people."

- "I want an army of nationalists inside the congress."

- "The past forms of nationalism historically arose as an evolution from monarchic states, based on people's exacerbation. Our nationalism is not imperialistic like the national socialism of that time, our nationalism is 'reivindicativo', we are reclaiming what is ours by right and restore public esteem." (when asked about the difference between Hitler's National Socialism (Nazis) and his nationalism)

- "We have the dictatorship of a minority. In Peru, democracy is poverty. We want a democracy of the people. We will overcome fear to arrive at the palace…Peru is above these traditional politicians."

-"They say I am 'anti-system'. Yes, I am against the current system of corruption, unemployment, hopelessness. If that is the system, not only am I anti-system, I am a rebel. The minority wants to defend their jewelry, their estates. Fear is the last barrier that the elite erect to protect themselves."

- "I want to arrive in power without owing anything to anyone."

- "How much do you teachers earn? 800 Soles?(=$250) How can we accept and trust elites who earn 10,000 dollars?"

- "We're going to change the rules for the rich and redistribute wealth. The young will inherit a country that has been looted."

21. March, 2006

- "The case is closed. - I say that there is a dirty, filthy war. I have seen that politics is a sewer." (on accusations of human rights abuse in 1992)

16. March, 2006

- "All Peruvians agree that we need to look for an alternative to neo-liberalism, which has destroyed the nucleus of society— the family."

16. March, 2006

- "The continent is reforming around a new agenda. We're going to forge nationalist Latin American policies, regional policies in blocs to fight poverty, debt and spur industrialization."

- "Hugo Chavez is a friend, not my mentor. One has to respect the model of each country. Peru is a different reality, we can't apply the Venezuelan model, but we can learn from others' experiences. We have a common energy agenda."

29 Nov. 2005

- "It is not the moment for preparing a government plan because we are still working on the elaboration of a project. The important thing now is for the party to become formal and accepted by the Jurado Nacional de Elecciones (National Jury of Elections)"

-> any additions to this list - provided by reliable sources - are welcome!

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Fujimori will be extradited soon!

2006-04-04T13:21:00.000-05:00

Former president Alberto Fujimori will be extradited from Chile to Lima in coming months to stand trial on corruption and human rights charges, Peru's justice minister said.
"I have the commitment and the will behind handing Fujimori over to Peruvian police, who will travel to Santiago to bring him in handcuffs, before the current administration ends so that he has his day in court," Alejandro Tudela told the official Andina news agency.
President Alejandro Toledo leaves office on July 28, by which time Tudela said Fujimori would be brought from Chile. He has been jailed there since November 7, when he arrived unannounced in Santiago, with the intention of launching a campaign in Peru for president in next Sunday's election.

click on the "Fujimori Dossier" button on top or here for more information

It is kind of strange that the local media has not jumped on this story yet. At least I haven't seen much of it.
Like I stated before.... let's hope he will get a fair trial and that "innocent until proven guilty before a court of law" will prevail.

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Peru Elections: The Foreign Press Starts To Notice

2006-04-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

as the countdown to April 9th continues like Michael Schumacher in 6th gear, the US media starts to chime in.
Some good articles during the last couple of days at CNN.com, the 'Washington Post', the 'New York Times' and several British papers and news agencies:

Woman in tough campaign for Peru presidency

Peru's Constant Cry For Change

Nationalism and Populism Propel Front-Runner

The UK's 'Financial Times' calles Humala a

Rebel with a radical cause
(written by By Ollanta Humala, Hal Weitzman!!) ...... huh??? Now that's funny :-)

Reuters Alertnet sees that a
Conservative woman struggles to win over Peru's poor

The British 'Telegraph' remarks that South America's anti-United States axis is about to gain a new recruit.
Former coup leader vows to free Peru from US 'exploitation'

...more articles in the "comment" section.

What really bothers me is the lack of interest in German newspapers and magazines. I even wrote an email to the editors of "Spiegel online" a week ago complaining about it. No response, of course.

update: and roughly an hour after I made my comment in disappointment, Spiegel Online International sends us a postcard with an interview of Ollanta Humala! Hah, it worked!!!! Bloggers rule!
However, the contents of this article is rather "old news" but better than nothing at all.
"We Are the New Face of Latin America"

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Germany Survival Bible

2006-03-31T10:20:00.000-05:00

For all you crazy futbol - football - fussball - soccer fans out there who plan to go to Germany for the World Cup this summer - or if you're just trying to "understand those quirky Germans and their odd ways, the good, the bad and the ugly", you can read and contribute to the "Germany Survival Bible".

The Survival Bible Quiz: Are You Ready to Visit Germany?

WE NEED YOU: Help us Write the Germany Survival Bible

The first entries have been submitted:

latest additions:

Reader's Forum

another excellent read about understanding the German way of life, in all its mysteries, can be found here

other World Cup related articles:
German Brothel Removes Muslim Flags Amid Threats
World Cup Security: German Politicians Urge Checks on Iran's Soccer Fans

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The Potato War

2006-03-30T19:27:00.000-05:00

anyone remember that 70's Disco song by John Paul Young???
Was it "War is in the air, everywhere I look around"? Or was it love? Can't remember :-)
Actually it's in the ground, a few inches deep. We're talking about the potato here, the beloved Peruvian "papa"! For those who don't know, the potato's origin is Peru. Period. Scientifically proven.
And Chile is the aggressor again. Hah, big surprise.
They strike us again when our country is most vulnerable, when all defense mechanisms are directed elsewhere: during election time! We have other things to care about right now, we don't need any distraction from our southern neighbor.

They fought a war over a swath of mineral-rich desert, battled countless times on the soccer field and have even dueled over the origins of a pungent liquor both claim as a national drink.

Now, Peru and Chile can add potatoes to its grudge list

read the whole story here

also, Maria's Blog recently had a good article on the subject.
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New HIV drugs tested on Peruvians

2006-03-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

Great news! There's new hope for AIDS patients:

The problem: Condoms and counseling have not been enough to stop the spread of AIDS, and no vaccine is in sight.

New approach: Two drugs already used to treat HIV infection, tenofovir and FTC, show promise in monkey studies of also being able to prevent infection.

What's next: Human tests are being expanded in the United States and in Africa to see if this approach is safe and effective.

Scientists have long believed that a vaccine is the best way to stop the spread of AIDS, but efforts to invent one have miserably flopped.
Now they may have found something already on pharmacy shelves that seems to prevent infection.
It's a combination of two drugs that have shown such promise in early experiments in monkeys that officials just expanded tests of them in people around the world.
"This is the first thing I've seen at this point that I think really could have a prevention impact," said Thomas Folks, a federal scientist since the earliest days of AIDS. "If it works, it could be distributed quickly and could blunt the epidemic."

The National Institutes of Health is starting a Tenofovir study in 1,400 gay men in Peru. Private and government funders are considering others. Tenofovir also is being tested in microbicide gels that women could use vaginally to try to prevent catching HIV.

(story on CNN.com)

Although this topic requires the utmost seriousness and with all due respect to the men, women, and especially innocent children around the world infected by the HIV virus ... I couldn't help but thinking that Peru might not be the most qualified terrain for testing the new drugs, considering the recent threats by the Humala clan to shoot every homosexual in the streets to eliminate immorality.

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Highway To The Danger Zone

2006-03-27T21:30:00.000-05:00

The radical and often intolerant declarations make me wonder what goes through the mind of the Humala clan, a family who could have a monumental impact on the destiny and fate of all Peruvians over the next five years.
Recently the heads of the family, Isaac and Elena Humala, parents of Ollanta, Ulises and Antauro, stated they would amnesty and release terrorists and shoot homosexuals. Ollanta however tries to keep the enkindled fire in check by pointing out an ideological separation between himself and the rest of the Humala family, that his relatives are not members of his party and his presidency will not become a family project. He then kindly requested to abandon this banal line of questioning by confronting the interviewer with a question of his own: "If your mother says that you used diapers until you were 10 years old, how would you think of that?"
It seems that he is familiar with the proverb 'the apple never falls far from the tree', he knows that during an election campaign the dispersion of such threatening rhethoric isn't the smartest thing to do.
He also knows that these "issues" can be addressed after his rise to power. After all ; based on the experience from various examples; the discrepancy between the many promises and statements made by electoral candidates during a campaign and the actual actions and initiatives after the polling stations are closed, is basic common knowledge of any citizen in any country. Like Konrad Adenauer, the first German Chancellor after WWII, once jovially said to his aids: "Who cares about my blabber from yesterday?"

Humala says he wants to strengthen democracy. How? By weakening its pillars of free speech and opinion? By "regulating" the mass media? By discriminating the opposition? By stating: "I have commanded soldiers. Now I want to command the people."? Already he likes to be addressed as "El Commandante" Humala and frequently refers to himself in third person.

When recently asked about the difference of Hitler's national socialism and his nationalistic ideologies, he stated that "past forms of nationalism historically arose as an evolution from monarchic states, based on people's exacerbation. Our nationalism is not imperialistic like the national socialism of that time, our nationalism is vindictive, justified (somos un nacionalismo reivindicativo)."
That's it?? Why do I somehow feel uncomfortable and dissatisfied with this short explanation? El Commandante, do you really think that the horrendous atrocities caused by Hitler's Nazi regime and the resulting 50+ million casualties do not deserve a clear distinction from your ideals?
Never mind, since you are the poor victim of an alleged smear campaign initiated by the press and the wealthy businesses, I am sure it was the interviewer's fault to not asking you and digging any further.
Just like yesterday when a guy with a parachute, carrying his first name in big letters, landed on the pitch in the middle of the most prestigious football match in front of 40,000 people. After he was greeted by the crowd with empty bottles and a ... well, lets just say overall negative acceptance, Humala blamed the businessmen for sponsoring yet another obvious plot against him, which of course will no longer be tolerated after the scepter is handed to El Commandante. The poor guy later admitted that he was a big supporter of Humala and it was his very own idea, he didn't receive a Nuevo Sol from anyone for his courageous act.
Then his personal press secretary, party friend and candidate for Congress, Daniel Abugattás, verbally insults the current "First Lady" in the worst possible way (no profanities here at 'un lobo'!), and calls the loved ones of the murdered victims at Madre Mia, "crazier than a goat". They are the people who accused "Captain Carlos", a.k.a. El Commandante Humala, as the one responsible for the Human Rights violations. Humala is very, very busy lately apologizing for all the people who are closest to him.

Obviously, for Peruvians the track records and handwriting of previous and current populist, nationalistic, authoritarian, totalitarian despots is not part of common knowledge or it doesn't seem to matter, even though they experienced similar regimes not too long ago. They always start out by claiming to be the voice of the common man and to help the poor and underprivileged. However, after climbing the throne and holding the strings of government, the first thing they do is strengthening the military and police forces and change constitutional laws to keep them in power. How does that help the poor, I ask myself.
Just look at Humala's buddy in Venezuela. Not too long ago, the BBC asked for people's opinion worldwide on Hugo Chavez' performance since coming to power in 1998. You can the responses yourself and make your own judgment. In my opinion, he is busier fighting his rhetoric war against the imperialistic neighbor from the north than keeping his promises towards the poor.
"I am going to practice with a bow and arrow. If we have to put a few arrows into any invading gringo, then you'll be done in 30 seconds, my dear gringo," Chavez said pointing to his neck during his regular Sunday television broadcast. Statements like that certainly creates a chuckle among his supporters and, most importantly, it will give the poor, unemployed people in the jungle a new source of income and a defined career path: the fabrication of curare and arrow heads. What a great idea of boosting your local economy!
However, there's one big difference between Peru and Venezuela, among others. Peru does have valuable natural gas resources, copper, silver and gold. And the coca plant. But it doesn't have the oil resources to play and joggle with in front of enemies.

When I take a good a look at the three leading candidates, I see a woman who doesn't have the ability to connect with the majority of people (the poor, indigenous), who cannot distance herself rigorously from the 'corruption issue', who can say and proclaim all she wants but will never be able to lose the image of representing the elite.
Then I see a man who most people had never even heard of a year ago, me included. A political nobody with a flaming rhetoric, who finally - after 6 months of campaigning - gives us a little insight in what his actual governmental plans are. But those plans seem to change or adapt whenever the situation calls for it.
And, last but not least, the guy from the middle, a guy who's been around politically for over two decades, not counting his time spent in exile, a guy who could be the ideal compromise. But he already showed his weaknesses as president some 20 years ago after bringing the economy to the brink of collapse, and leaving the country in shambles. Even if he has learned from his previous shortcomings, the famous expression of 'deja-vu all over again' still creeps in the back of ones mind.

Tough choices, I say.
Here's to hoping and praying that people know what they're doing when they drop this monstrous piece of paper in the ballot box.

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Lake Titicaca turns smelly

2006-03-24T19:50:00.000-05:00

Algae threat to Peru tourism

(by Nick Foster, Times Online)

The way of life of the Uros tribe of Native Americans, who live on floating islands in Lake Titicaca near the Peruvian town of Puno, is under threat from a build-up of foul-smelling green slime on the surface of the water.

The lentil-shaped algae, an inch deep in places, feeds off sewage released into Lake Titicaca from Puno. It is estimated that 55 per cent of the waste produced by the town’s 110,000 residents enters the lake untreated.
About 200 Uros live in thatched huts on about 40 islands built from totora reeds which grow in the lake. Although tourism is the islanders’ main source of income, the Uros have traditionally relied on the waters around their floating homes for fishing.
Now, though, the trout and kingfish caught near the islands are unfit for human consumption. As a result, the Uros are forced to fish farther out into the lake.
The green slime started to appear about 20 years ago, but it is only recently that the local tourist industry, which ferries visitors to and from the various islands in the lake from Puno, has begun to worry.
“Tourists will soon stop taking cruises to the floating islands because the algae smells so awful,” said Julio Morales, a guide. “The islands on the lake are one of the great sights of Peru. A lot of people in Puno will suffer financially if tourists stop taking boats from the port here.”
At 3,856m (12,650ft) Lake Titicaca — which forms part of the border between Peru and Bolivia — is the world’s highest navigable body of water. The bi-national Lake Titicaca Project, which reports on local environmental issues, has criticised Puno’s city council for complacency.
Meanwhile, a group of concerned citizens has called on local TV for action against the green slime. They wonder why no experts have found a way of combating the algae.
Farther south, at the Bolivian lakeside town of Copacabana, pollution is less of a problem. For the moment, the world’s highest waterskiing lessons are still on offer.
A spokesperson for Journey Latin America, a specialist South America tour operator, said: “We do not believe (the algae) has become a major problem. Visiting these tribes is still very popular. It’s a must-see part of any trip to the area.”
A spokesman for Exodus, which includes the floating islands in several trips, suggested that, despite the pollution, visits were a rewarding experience. He said: “The Uros people are more focused on sharing with visitors the history and lifestyle of their islands than ever before.”

more infos here

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Peruvian World Records

2006-03-23T14:26:00.000-05:00

"Latin America doesn't matter ... People don't give one damn about Latin America now." Thus spake Richard Nixon in April 1971, discussing with a young aide named Donald Rumsfeld which areas of the world he should not concentrate on if he wanted a brilliant career.

And that ignorance probably hasn't changed much in the last 3 decades. One way to put a country on the map of worldwide acknowledgement is by advertising its greatest achievements ... also known as "World Records".
So I will give it a try and list some of the most outstanding feats ever recorded by Peruvians and showcase some of the world's true wonders you won't find anywhere but here, in Incaland!
Through my random observations and little googling, I created the following list, in random order...

1. The highest navigable lake
Lake Titicaca, located in the southern Andes of Peru, between the borders Peru - Bolivia, Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. Its altitude is 3,812 m (12506 ft) above sea level.

2. The deepest canyon
Cotahuasi, located in La Unión (Arequipa). A scientific expedition made in 1991 determined that the Cotahuasi Canyon has a depth of 3,535 m (11598 ft), some meters more than the Colca Canyon in Caylloma, Arequipa (3,200m). Although other explorers say that the real deepest canyon is the Apurímac Canyon (between Apurímac and Cusco) with 4,772m in the area of Chojesapra and Huarjajata, it is not scientifically proved until today. At least we can say that Peru holds the three deepest canyons in the world. In comparison, the Grand Canyon is 'only' 1830 m (6,000 ft) deep at its deepest point.

3. The highest railroad pass
The Ferrocarril Central del Peru is, undoubtedly, the highest in the world. Starting in Callao port, from almost sea level, it passes by Lima city and then reaches the peak altitude of 4,818 m (15,807 ft) in the Anticona pass (Ticlio, Lima).
It choo-choo's into the hardy Andes through more than 60 tunnels and several bridges and reaches its highest point in less than 150km.

4. The biggest convent city
With an area of 20,426m² (219,865 ft²) the Monasterio de Santa Catalina in Arequipa is the biggest convent city in the world and the most important religious building in Peru.

5. The longest bus journey
Expreso Internacional Ormeño is a bus company created in 1970. It is one of the largest in Peru and it has been included twice in the Guinness Book of Records because it makes the longest international overland journey. Ormeño buses link the cities of Caracas (Venezuela), Bogotá and Cali (Colombia), Quito and Guayaquil (Ecuador), Lima (Peru), Santiago (Chile) and Mendoza and Buenos Aires (Argentina). The covered distance is more than 9,000 kilometers between all these cities.

6. The largest and unique collection of pre-Columbian erotic ceramic
The Museo Larco Herrera is the place where you can find an exclusive collection of pre-columbian erotic ceramic, the biggest and unique in the world. Placed in Lima, this private museum has a number of more than 40,000 ceramic pieces, most of them belonging to the Moche culture, which makes it the biggest ceramic museum in the world. The Moche people were very expressive and they did not hesitate to reflect this in their crafts.

7. The largest collection of weapons
The Museo de Oro del Peru y Armas del Mundo, located in Lima, houses this fine collection of weapons and military goods from all over the world. Here you will find almost all the countries and empires represented by its original weapons, armors and combat supplies. A part of them belonged to famous people like Napoleon, P.Díaz, and Pinochet.

8. The largest mud city
Chan-Chan or "Sun-Sun" was the capital of the Chimú Empire. It is a huge urban complex made of a kind of mud called adobe. It is located in Trujillo (northern Peru) and was built by the 13th century. In fact, Chan-Chan is a city of cities covering an area of 1.418 km² (350 acres). When a chief died, his city had to be closed and the next chief built a new one near to it.

9. Highest Death Toll From A Single Landslide
A single landslide of rock debris from Mt. Huascarán, Peru, killed over 18,000 people in the town of Yungay on May 31, 1970.

10. The largest Pachamanca ever cooked
Hugo Crespo Sánchez cooked a Pachamanca using 2,975 kg (6,558lb 12 oz) of ingredients in the District of Jesús María, Lima, Peru on December 8, 1999.
A Pachamanca is a traditional Peruvian dish of baked lamb, mutton, pork, chicken or guinea pig, marinated in spices. Other Andean produce, such as potato, sweet potato, and occasionally cassava, as well as ground maize and chile, is included in the baking.
Preparation begins with the heating of stones over a fire, and the meat is then placed on top. The fire is covered with grass and earth, and the resulting oven is opened up after around an hour and a half. Usually, a large quantity of meat is cooked, perhaps a whole sheep, to serve several people... in this record case thousands.

11. Power-Pull with your throat
In 1999, Peru's Tabaré Soria González pulled a pick-up truck using piece of wire stuck in his throat! No joke....

....records from my own observations....

12. The foggiest place on Earth
Miraflores, a posh suburb of Lima is covered in fog at least 250 days per year, no matter what season it is. Or so it seems. San Francisco comes in as a distant second...

13. Highest consumation of potato and onions per capita
Although the potato originates from Peru, that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to eat tons of it. Every peruvian dish comes with potatoes in one form or another and onions in all its variations.

14. Most apartment buildings without balconies
It is simply unfathomable how many apartments in Lima, a city where it rains 1-2 days per year, don't have balconies to sit on and enjoy the sunshine (after the fog disappears, of course). And the ones that do have one are so small that even a normal chair doesn't fit or they are used as flower beds.

15. Most policemen serving as security guards
Every shop or store has their security guard watching its front door, standing there in one spot for 8 hours until shift change, even at night after closing hours.
Every tiny little bank branch, government-owned office building or public place has a policeman doing the exact same thing.

16. Most taxis per capita
Every second car on the streets of lima is a taxi. Since I already wrote an article on this astounding phenomenon, I will just leave it at that.

17. Most tuna fish cans in grocery store shelfs
If you go in any large grocery store in Lima, a whole 10 meter shelf is dedicated to nothing else but tuna fish.
Close second: vegetable and olive oil, the shelf is only 8 meters long.

please, feel free to make any additions you can think of!!

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- Mosquito On The Wall -

2006-03-22T13:14:00.000-05:00

"Mosquito on the wall" gives you a quick update on assembled headlines from Peru:

1) Elena Tasso, the 70 year old mother of presidential candidate Ollanta Humala, proposed the execution of homosexuals to eliminate - in her opinion - a serious moral problem.
"Yo les apuesto a ustedes que con dos violadores fusilados ya no habría más violaciones. Y con dos homosexuales que se fusilen ya no habría en la calle tanta inmoralidad", were her exact words which she didn't want recorded.
She centered her attacks at TV journalist Jaime Bayly, a declared bisexual: "That man is seeding immorality and he scatters it to the four winds. Then people think that this is normal ", she claimed.
"We have been preparing our children to take power since they were born," Elena Tasso has said of her eight progeny. "If the boys are not successful this time, then it will be the turn of the girls," she recently revealed. In fact two of her sons, Ollanta and Ulises, are standing as rivals in next month's presidential election and a third, Antauro, is running for congress. Faced with not one but two sons to support, the head of the family, father Isaac, backs Ulises.
But the father's real enthusiasm is for the eccentric philosophy of "Etnocacerismo".
This racist creed, which Isaac founded, calls on indigenous Americans, whom he calls "coppers", to take on the "whites", and their sidekicks the "blacks", and keep the "yellows" at a safe distance.
Ollanta meanwhile suggested to his parents and sibblings to keep quiet until election day. Ulises disagrees with his brother's attitude and thinks the declarations of their parents cannot harm him because his party's message is different. "I do not believe that this is hurting my chances. We will explain the difference and distance to my parents declarations during this electoral campaign ", he maintained.

2. Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, one of Latin America's leading novelists and essayists, believes that Ollanta Humala puts the democracy in danger.
"How is it possible that after ten years of shame with Fujimori and Montesinos, a third of the population nowadays loves to return to dictatorship, authoritarianism, a subjugated press, a manipulated Judicial Power, impunity and the upsetting of human rights", he said during an award ceremony last night.
"Humala proposes to us the return to authoritarianism, the lack of freedom and legality", following the models imposed by president Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and by the military government of general Juan Velasco. Vargas Llosa described Chávez disrespectfully as a "militarote" who has destroyed the Venezuelan democracy and has created a megalomaniac authoritarian system that tries to justify a supposedly bolivarian rhetoric".
"The alternative we are given on April 9th is not a single change of government, but a change of regime. What is at stake is the continuance of this perfectible democracy after a long process of recovery from corrupted dictatorships which are a despicable part in our history ", he referred.

3) Several ringleaders of the MRTA (Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement) were sentenced to long prison terms yesterday.
Víctor Polay Campos, head of the subversive group, received 32 years of imprisonment in a maximum security facility for the crimes of planning and executing violent assaults, hijackings, extorsion and murders between 1984 until 1992. Discounting his detention since his capture in 1992, Polay will be freed January 3rd, 2023.
Other leading members of the MRTA, Miguel Rincón Rincón, Lucero Cumpa Miranda, Peter Cárdenas Schulte and Alberto Gálvez Olaechea were condemned to 32, 28, 25 and 23 years respectively.
According to some specialists in terrorism, the sentence is fair, even though some people, especially military men, think that they should have been given a life sentence. Carlos Tapia, who is a well-known specialist in terrorism matters, says that MRTA was not as bloody as the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), who are considered as genocidal.

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3rd Tallest Waterfall Discovered in Peru

2006-03-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

see video (MS IE only)
video in German (Flash Player 8)
view slideshow

A German explorer says he's found one of the world's highest waterfalls in Peru's isolated northern jungle.
Stefan Ziemendorff on Monday led a local television camera crew to the falls, which he says he and a group of Peruvian explorers found in 2002 in the department of Amazonas, while exploring a burial site in the valley of Uctubamba. He works in a project for the drinking water enterprise of Amazonas (Empresa de Agua Potable de Amazonas-Emusap) and participated in two expeditions later.

The waterfall was baptized as 'Gocta', name of the nearest population. It is located 650km northeast of the capital, Lima, and is a 5 hour walking distance away from the town of Cocachimba. The cascades have rarely been seen by anyone, due to its remote location, and legends that it is haunted by a mystical siren have kept the native population at bay for hundreds of years. Excessive rains and dense vegetation also prevent an easy journey to its neighborhoods.

"The waterfall measures 771m (2530 ft), with a margin of error of 14m," Ziemendorff told Peru's state-run Channel 7 television.
The highest waterfall in the world is “El Salto del Angel” in Venezuela with 972 meters high, the second highest is Tugella Falls in South Africa with 948 meters and Gocta would be the third highest.

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Flores: Peru wants change without violence

2006-03-21T14:03:00.000-05:00

While the Peruvian stock market is already plummeting and the Financial Times conveys that the peruvian elite braces for a possible Ollanta Humala victory, conservative presidential candidate Lourdes Flores Nano is adjusting her campaign speeches as well by focusing more on her biggest rival.

Although she avoids to specifically mention his name it is obvious that she alludes to him when talking to her supporters. At least that's how it sounded last night during a gathering in suburbian Lima. All her words had the purpose of enumerating the risks for the country that the ex-military man and avid nationalist's rise to power will bring.
"My alternative is real. The other option, the one that is represented by our opponents, is the threat of another sprout of terrorism, a violence threat, a threat of returning to the failures of the past", she emphatically maintained in front of approximately 1,500 supporters. She claimed that Humala posts a "danger for the Peruvians".
Her own single proposals were very general: respect of labor rights, improvements in public health and making education a tool for the development of new generations. "That is my commitment for this country and for the poorest", Flores announced.
She also guaranteed that, if elected, she will not free or amnesty sentenced and imprisoned terrorists, acknowleding the vestiges of subversion still subsisting in some areas of the country.
Last night's rally included several illustrations of anti-violence and pro-peace: hundreds of candles were lit by the audience, a minute of silence before her main speech, children choirs performing poems in the epilogue.
Likewise, the presentation of relatives of two policemen killed by "Etnocaceristas" in Andahuaylas indicated to whom the following message was directed: "What can you possibly expect of a group that has not given a clear expression against violence in our country, a group whose true ideologist, Isaac Humala, reiterates the command to amnesty Abimael Guzmán, the man responsible of the greatest genocide in our mother country? Peru does not deserve this ", she maintained.

Meanwhile, APRA leader, former president and 'man in the middle', Alan García - currently in a distant 3rd place - suddenly sees his chances increasing again. As the German proverb goes "When two quarrel, the third rejoices". If Flores' stock continues to fall and he ends up in a very possible second round runoff with Humala, all bets are off. In this case he maintains that his party is in a capacity to gather the greater amount of originating votes of all sectors, even those of his electoral adversaries.
"Nearly 90% of the voters are not members of any party, they have their affections but without fighting spirit, and if their candidate doesn't make it to the second round, they will reconsider freely. Then, we do not see the necessity to make agreements or joint-ventures under the table with other parties", he explained.

Question of strategy or real conviction? Difficult to know. Under these circumstances , his spirit and optimism led him to risk a prognosis: "It is almost impossible that (Ollanta) Humala wins the elections", he said.

Humala Racing To Finish Line

2006-03-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

Even though I have expressed my doubts regarding the reliability of peruvian election surveys, it appears that nationalist Ollanta Humala, who calls himself the "antisystem" candidate, is emerging as the favorite to be the next president of Peru.

Three weeks before the election, on the first day of autumn in southern hemisphere, indications are that Humala is racing to the finish line while conservative candidate Lourdes Flores is running out of gas. This manifests the peruvian electoral phenomenon of rooting for the underdog and outsider with limited political experience, a trend that started in 1990 when Alberto Fujimori, a professor at the University of Agriculture, took power and continued with Alejandro Toledo in 2001.
The ascent of Humala expresses the appalling contrast of social classes in Peru, the regional rift between the Lima metropolis and the rural rest of the country and in addition, ethnic-racial disparities between the native mestizos (or "cholos") and los blancos (the "whites").
People favor Humala because they feel an ethnic identification towards him, even though he doesn't reveal a concrete political plan or agenda, and they see in Lourdes Flores Nano the typical "symbol of power", a symbol that historically always relates to corruption.
Under the current circumstances it seems that the majority of people doesn't care much that he is a political nobody, his questionable past and background and the lack of a concrete government plan seems not important.

If Humala is elected, where is this country headed? A further stabilized democracy with dramatically improving quality of life and education for everyone, especially the poor, while keeping the economy growing and foreign relationships blooming?
Or is this country headed towards another military-controlled, totalitarian dictatorship, based on ethnic-racial sentiments, a government-controlled, socialistic economy and restrictions on freedom of speech and the press? Will Peru become the Belarus of South America, Humala the Latin Lukashenko?

Anything seems possible.

According to a recent internet poll, asking people if they would stay in Peru or rather leave the country if Humala is elected, 56% of the 1800+ voters answered they would leave the country. A staggering number, in my opinion.

Speedy's sucky business!

2006-03-17T12:05:00.000-05:00

"Speedy" is my Internet provider. I don't have a choice, it's the only one in Peru. They are expensive, they literally rip the bills out of your wallet (I'm not putting up a link to their website here, check out the rates for yourself). You are desperately trying to find out why that is.

Monopoly? Ok, one reason.
Reliability? Yes, actually very reliable, only two couple-of-hour outages within the last year as far as I remember.
Service? No! Absolutely horrible! Especially their accounting practices.

So I woke up yesterday morning and tried to check my emails. Offline, no connection! My first reaction was to check all the cables, reboot the laptop, check the modem, see if the phone still works, among other troubleshooting activities. Nope, all clear. So we called Speedy. Oops, nobody there until 8 AM. Tried again later to hear that there was an outstanding bill of $5.
First off, our monthly bill for one connection comes in two parts. One is embedded in the phone bill and a second bill comes extra, for whatever reason.
Unfortunately my wife forgot to go to the bank to pay the second one in time. Alright, our mistake, we admit it. And it happens to all of us occasionally, right? Now, what you would expect is that the outstanding amount would show up on your next monthly bill, probably with late fees or interest. Sounds reasonable to me, especially for a first-time offense. At least that's how it's usually handled in all other countries I've lived in. That's good business.

Speedy however has a more violent approach to fight customer tardiness. They hit you where it hurts the most, they simply shut you down and cut off your connection. Without warning! It hurts even more if your business relies on the Internet. If this is your busiest day of the year, as described in Murphy's Law, you're doomed. Turning off your service takes 5 seconds, in the middle of the night. Getting you back online takes over 24 hours and only after five more phone calls, all within regular business hours of course. Biggest hastle.

That's sucky business!!! Monopoly means screwing your customers.

Mírate! Life, death and politics in Peru

2006-03-11T09:13:00.000-05:00

(link in post title)

This month, the daily newspaper 'El Comercio' has taken an unusual, extra step in its efforts to help Peruvians make informed decisions. As the country braces for an April 9 presidential election, El Comercio is sponsoring a photo-journalistic recap of recent Peruvian history. Staged at an art gallery in the capital's center, the aim of its exhibition is to reconstruct the ugly and uplifting chapters of the national narrative, and to provide context to the upcoming election.

Titled "Mírate" ("Look at Yourself"), the show comprises some 60 photos taken by El Comercio staffers between Jan. 1, 2000 and the beginning of this year. Nancy Chappell, an El Comercio photographer who helped curate the exhibition with independent photographer-curator Mayu Mohanna, says that "Mírate" has drawn thousands of visitors, first at a previous location, in the haute monde Miraflores seaside district, then at its current home, the Juan Pardo Heeren gallery in the capital's gritty center.

The exhibition, the first of its kind mounted by the newspaper, is part of a broader, months-long initiative by El Comercio to create public forums for addressing such national issues as health, education and the economy, as Peruvians head to the polls. The exhibition is scheduled to close this weekend.

I haven't been able to see the exhibition yet but it is definitely on my agenda for tomorrow, the last day.
For those of you, dear readers, who have already seen it, I would love to hear your impressions and opinions.

Lugar: Galerías Juan Pardo Heeren y Galería ICPNA Lima
Dirección: Jr. Cusco 446
Abierta al público hasta el domingo 12 de marzo.
Horario: De martes a domingo de 11 a.m. a 8 p.m.

Peru's Presidential Elections: The Military Issue

2006-03-08T20:12:00.000-05:00

The 'Counsil Of Hemispheric Affairs", an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, research and information organization based in the USA, has published this memorandum today:

Peru's Presidential Elections: The Military Issue

Three major candidates are the prime contenders to become Peru's next president when the country goes to the polls on April 9 to elect a new leader and congress. The recent high poll ratings of Ollanta Humala, a retired army commander who led a failed uprising in 2000, has added spice to an election that otherwise could have gone almost unnoticed by the international community. The possibility that Ollanta could become Peru’s next president is very much real, especially considering he is the potential favorite of Peru’s armed forces and police (together numbering around 180,000), who will be going to the polls for the first time in the April vote and could select one of their own for the nation’s top office. The future president will have to face an array of issues that have hampered Peru’s development for decades, including chronic unemployment which became even more widespread under the last two administrations. However, international attention will focus largely on what foreign policy decisions the next president will make. The million dollar questions are: is Humala, or any of the other major candidates, truly presidential?

read the whole memorandum, including an introduction and rundown on all leading candidates, here

The cloud of fear: Peru’s anti-terror lesson

2006-03-08T10:56:00.000-05:00

Lisa J. Laplante wrote an interesting article about the experiences of fighting terrorism in Peru and its consequences from a human rights perspective.
The United States could learn to rectify its misguided and ineffective way of opposing terrorism by paying attention to Peru, she says.

The experiences of countries like Peru evidently do not inform the choices of the United States administration. But the world, including Peru, does anxiously observe the US, and wonders whether the latter's often revered political and judicial system will survive the test of the "war on terrorism".

read the whole article here.

Anything you want to know about Peru?

2006-03-08T10:54:00.000-05:00

QUESTIONS ABOUT PERU?

ask them here!

I thought I should create a post, sort of a mailbag thing, where you can ask any questions you may have regarding Peru.
Any topic is welcome; lifestyle, politics, history, food, traditions, transportation, travel, sports..... whatever.
I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and I will use all options of research available to me. You can expect a response within a few hours (except during sleepy time :-))

I hope you will enjoy and value this free service and we will see if it catches on and how it develops.

So feel free and type away!

Oscars 2006: Snappy movies, toothless show

2006-03-06T09:26:00.000-05:00

This years Oscar's - a downpour of missed opportunities. The only surprise of a long evening came at the end: "Crash" stole the show from "Brokeback Mountain" with its election of "Best Picture". At the 78. Academy Awards, above all Hollywood celebrated itself again.

No one knows exactly what the organizers mixed in Jon Stewart's drink, it must have been a strong sedative. The usually sharp-tongued comedian, feared and adored as the lefty conscience of America, gave a rather tamed hosting premiere that left a rather bitter and annoying taste of missed opportunites in my mouth.
Gay cowboys and a gay knight of the pen, media- and real terror, racism in Los Angeles - the 5 'best picture' nominees alone provided enough material for political annotations and side blows towards Bush's administration. But the normally in tinsel town frowned upon president's name wasn't mentioned once in the 3 1/2 hour lasting show. The times of Michael Moore's "Shame on you Mr Bush" seem to have passed already, it was just a little episode.
Hollywood and the Academy again revealed their narcissim and their rather navel-gazing approach instead of looking beyond their own nose, perhaps to minimize the explosiveness of the many politically themed and socially critical flicks.
The film industry seems more concerned about their economic outlook and not politcs. New Acadamy president Sid Ganis - after an already incredibly boring, self-congratulatory speech that preceded this award - went out of his way to remind folks that there is only one way to watch a movie: in a theater. Not on DVD. A little out of touch with the real world if you ask me, but who can blame him after this past year's box office slump. The fear of cheap DVDs and internet piracy is bigger than worrying about America's democracy.

The always glamorous and perfectly organized ceremony at the Kodac Theatre should not contribute to create a new enthusiasm among its viewers. It's been a long time since I've last watched an Oscar show that predictable and highlightless, which in fact should in no way downgrade the excellent compilation of movies and their creators and actors. Their quality was above average which makes its dedicated uninspirational show all the more appalling.

The only true surprise happened at the end: not the highly praised and advertised "Brokeback Mountain" won the 'best film' award but the episodic "Crash" with everyday intolerance, latent racism and forgiveness as its main topics. It would have been more courageous to select Ang Lee's love story between two gay cowboys but the voting panel, mainly actors, decided for the multi-story- at their own doorstep- flick, filled with intertwining vignettes and stereotypes. Realistic storylines with rather unrealistic, over the top, endings. By the way, I watched this movie at home on DVD, and in my humble opinion it should have won "Most overrated movie of the year" instead.
The rest was all so predictable and can be checked off. Favorites Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line) deservedly won the 'best actor/actress in a leading role' award. George Clooney's 'Good Night, ad Good Luck' left empty-handed, but the politically outspoken ladies' man received the consolation prize as 'actor in a supporting role' in "Syriana".
'Best director' and 'best adapted screenplay' went to Ang Lee and 'Brokeback', as expected. Despite five nominations, Spielberg's 'Munich' was overlooked, not a single award went to the controversial drama. Perhaps the subject matter of terrorism was too delicate and dodgy for the academy.
The high-gloss Hollywood productions "Memories of a Geisha" and "King Kong" went home with 3 Oscars each, equaling the number of their independent counterparts 'Crash' and 'Brokeback', but only for their achivement in the less important technical categories. The renunciation from spectacle and epics and the trend towards calm storytelling and message-sending was an impressive demonstration last night.

Fittng this trend was also the outcome of the 'best foreign film' category: the winner was the South-African gang drama "Tsotsi", convincing because of its two adolescent actors in leading roles. The political cinema, represented by the German WWII drama "Sophie Scholl" or the Palestinian contribution "Paradise Now, a story about suicide bombers, didn't stand a chance. Winner for 'best documentation' was the cute 'March of the Penguins' and not the commerce-critical "Darwin's Nightmare" or "Enron".

What else? Ooh, at least we witnessed one radical change: the entering of hiphop! The rap song "It's Hard Out There For A Pimp" by Three Six Mafia won for 'best film song'. B-Boys in sweat suits and colorful t-shirts receiving the golden statue?? A real paradigm shift - and perhaps a hidden signal to the young'uns who nowadays rarely go to a movie theater.

Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin gave a moody, pseudo-improvised laudation for 'Honorable Oscar' receipient Robert Altman ('Gosford Park', 'Nashville'). But the archrival Hollywood's, the perpetual outlaw of the american film industry, didn't show some bite either. Instead the 81-year old mentioned his recent heart transplant procedure and threatened the audience with his intention to continue his filmmaking career for at least another thirty years.
I, for one, wish that would happen - just as much as a witty, exciting and controversial Oscar show that does justice to the courageous films that are nominated.

all Oscar winners
Oscar photo gallery

A Survey About Surveys

2006-03-03T09:01:00.000-05:00

I am not alone.
After expressing my doubts about the quality and reliability of Peruvian polls and voter surveys in this article, the Catholic University conducted yet another survey about this subject, with the results published in the local newspaper 'EL Comercio' today. A survey about surveys! How refreshing.

Et voilà, there you have it: most voters give very little or no importance at all to the results of the presidential election surveys conducted weekly by Apoyo and others, and have no influence on the decision who they will eventually vote for.
57% have little or no confidence in the polling companies and their surveys, 40% say they have. As a matter of fact, less than half (46%) say they follow the results of conducted polls in the media on a regular basis, 37% say only on few occasiones and 16% don't pay any attention to them at all.

For 22% the surveys results have no importance at all on their final decision on election day, 38% assure us they have little importance, 24% give them some importance and 15% say they are very important to decide who they will vote for.

The majority of people (65%) admits that watching related television programs is used to form their opinion on political subjects. Radio comes in second place with 18%, followed by the printing media with 12% and the Internet with a miniscule 2%.
However, on the other hand 55% of the interviewed people have little or no confidence in mass media, whereas 44% have much or some confidence.

Asked about the main talked about political topics and subjects that caught their attention in the last month, people mentioned the human rights violations during the time of the terrorism and the involvement and activities of the campaigning candidates.
Other topics mentioned were the debate about Emergency Oral Contraception* (the so-called day-after-pill), followed by the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States and the conformation of the lists of candidates for Congress.

This survey was made by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. 1.767 men and women between the age of 18 and 70 in 19 urban provinces of Peru have been interviewed. The 'level of error' is +/- 2,31% and 'level of confidence' is 95%. The survey was conducted February 24-26.

- complete survey results click here (pdf file, 800kb, in spanish)

* Abortion is banned in Peru. It is only allowed to be performed when a mother's life is in danger.
United Nations representative to Peru, Jairo Palacio, recently urged presidential hopefuls to include Emergency Oral Contraception as a campaign issue.
According to Palacio, it is necessary for government plans to guarantee the distribution of the so-called day after pill so there is no difference between poor and rich. However, the Catholic Church and other sectors oppose.
World scientific community and the World Health Organization consider the contraceptive pill as a valid, non abortion-inducing method, with no life-threatening effects, the UN diplomat said.
Palacio also urged candidates to include the Millennium Targets in their government plans, as they call for achieving quality reproductive health services by 2015.

International Recognition for Peruvian produce

2006-03-02T19:46:00.000-05:00

some really positive facts about Peru and the quality of our produce, as seen and recognized in other countries.

check out this post on the RS Peru March 2006 blog

a couple of excerpts:

Peru has the best coffee in the world
The Spanish prefer the flavor of Peruvian asparagus
The French consider the Peruvian avocado unbeatable
The Chinese are anxious to sign an agreement that will allow the direct import of mangos
there is a big market for Peruvian grapes into the U.S and China
Peru has also entered the market for artichokes

And don't forget that we now have the best tenor in the world, Juan Diego Flores, who is the star of the Milan Opera House and has been compared to Pavarotti.

Sofia Mulanovich: That Chick Is Crippler!

2006-03-02T17:15:00.000-05:00

I was a land rat all my life until moving to Lima a little over a year ago. I expected the local sports channels to broadcast football and volleyball all day long since these are the only major sports where Peruvians have a somewhat successful history.
Being a big futbol fan myself, and after spending 8 years in soccer-no-mans-land USA, where most people consider soccer a women's sport anyway, I was truly excited to finally being able to catch up on my neglected knowledge about Claudio 'Pizza' Pizarro, Paolo 'The Warrior' Guerrero and Jefferson Farfan. After having done that, I discovered another fun sport and another Peruvian success story.
Looking out my window I can see the Pacific ocean, the beach is only a 15-minute walk away. I can see the the breaking waves and the tiny, colorful spots riding on top of the white foam.

Surfing and bodyboarding is BIG in Peru and growing, especially since local sensation Sofia Mulanovich captured the World Champion crown in 2004, the first South American to accomplish this feat. The world's best surfers traditionally come from Australia, Hawaii, California and, most recently, Brazil.
But Peru, with three times the coastline of California, has a rich history of surfing, dating to the 1930s when a playboy jet-setter named Carlos Dogny introduced the sport that he had learned on trips to Hawaii. Estimates say there are about 20,000 surfers in Peru today, and surf shops are scattered throughout Lima's coastal neighborhoods, thanks to Sofia.

Mulanovich is nicknamed 'La Gringa' because of her fair-colored skin, blonde-streaked hair and ability to speak fluent English. She also speaks surfer slang, tossing out words like 'gnarly, stoked, dude and crippler'.
Sofia was born in Lima and her parents now live in a beach house in Punta Hermosa (50 km south of Lima). She began competing against ..and defeating.. boys in local tournaments. At 14, she visited Hawaii for the first time, watched some of the top female surfers hit the waves and aspired to reach their level. Upon returning to Peru, "I started surfing more and watching more surfing videos. I began begging my mom to let me stay home from school when the waves were good." It was worth it!

In 2005, she won the prestigious ESPY Award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete, sitting along side side top 'mainstream' athletes of the likes of Lance Armstrong (cycling) and Roger Federer (tennis) who also picked up 'gongs' for their efforts in their respective sports.
The pint-sized regular-foot (left foot forward) surfer beat a host of well fancied action sports ladies to the title. The ESPY Awards were created by USA based cable TV sports giant, ESPN in 1993 and are presented for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly.

The documentary "Sofia" has been made including tracing her rise from poverty to domination in women's professional surfing. A screening is currently shown at the San Luis Obisbo Film Festival in California.

She is currently competing at the Roxy Pro at at Snapper Rocks, Australia.

As for me, I feel the urge to run to the next surfer shop and get me one of those bodyboards, a wet suit and fins. I never tried this sport before and bodyboarding seems to be easier for beginners and the boards are much smaller, therefore easier to carry under your arm. Yeehaw!

The annoyance of Nextel

2006-03-01T18:07:00.000-05:00

Lima is a great, big city.
There are many things I like, certainly more than the stuff I don't like. I expressed my feelings many times in this blog. I love the closeness to the ocean, the desert climate, the surfing, the tradition and sense of heritage, the people's friendliness and the expression of love everywhere, the kissing, caressing couple in the middle of the street, the sense for beauty in regard to flower beds and parks..... and so on.
Then there are the things I can tolerate because I know that different cultures have different habits and traditions and because most people's income doesn't allow buying environment-friendly cars or ride fancy buses or Mercedes cabs.
I can also tolerate the pollution, the burocracy, the tardiness, the ever-present policemen and security men to prevent crime in the first place and the lack of detectives who investigate after the crime. I lived in many places before, little villages, in the mountains, in the suburbs, downtown city 'A' or 'B' and I know nothing's perfect, there are pro's and con's on every street corner.

However, there are a couple of things that are truly annoying and worth improving:

The Latin Amerian 'unconsciousness' for garbage disposal and the disregard for the worldwide acknowledged medical hazard of noise, in particular the ever-honking cabs and buses and...

the Nextel walky-talky phones!!

Who in hell invented these phones? Whoever you are, shame on you! Your intentions may have been honorable and you probably make tons of money, but the noisy outcome is disastrous.
I went to the movies a month ago to see Spielberg's 'Munich' and within the first 30 minutes, 5 Nextel's started ringing in the audience. Now, every cellphone (or Handy, as they call it in numerous places) should be turned off when you walk into a public place, especially a movie theater. But the very distinguished walky-talky sound of a Nextel can easily be singled out because you hear BOTH parties talking! And this button-pushing ring sound every time you want to say something is just the worst.

I know the noisy walky-talky mode can be turned off and you can use the phone just like a regular cell phone, but nobody ever does. And you wanna know why? Because most people are already def from all the other street noises and it's the only way to hear what your calling counterpart has to say. It's a classic 'devil's circle'.
Don't get me wrong, I welcome any competition for the overpowering, monopolistic 'Telefonica', whether it's 'Claro' or 'Nextel' but.....PLEASE, Limeños, show a little respect for your fellow citizens, your neighbors and the people standing next you.

I decided to sign up for a monthly membership at Blockbusters, even though it's a 30-minute walk each way and is not nearly the same experience you get in a movie theater. So today, on my way to return 2 DVD's, I heard 5 Nextel walky-talkies going off in the street and 2 more in the store... but I couldn't care less.

A new ocean is born!

2006-03-01T12:43:00.000-05:00

finally nature provides us with some exciting news, and for a change its the kind of news for which humankind is not responsible.
This is not about pollution, global warming, deterioration of the ozone layer or El Niño, nor is it about water contamination, unconscious garbage disposal, viruses or the near extinction of whales, lions and other species, just to name the tip of the iceberg.

Our generation is witnessing the birth of a new ocean. New rivers, oceans and mountain ranges usually form in slow motion but this is not the case in the Afar dip in Northeast-Africa. Speaking in terms of geological measures, the drift that will eventually divide Africa happens with a breathtaking speed. Researchers have been observing the 37-mile-long (60-kilometer-long) fissure since it split open in September 2005 in Ethiopia and estimate it will take a million years to fully form into an ocean. Again, speaking in geological terms, "it won't take long" until the Red Sea will flood the region and divide the continent of Africa.

The Afar dip is the earth's largest construction site. Dereje Ayalew, head of earth science at Addis Ababa University, said that the split is the beginning of a long process, which will eventually lead to Ethiopia's eastern part tearing off from the rest of Africa, with a sea forming in the gap. The Afar desert is being torn off the continent by about 0.8 inches (20 millimeters) each year.
"The crust under Afar is becoming like the crust found in the Red Sea," Dereje said. "Once the crust is formed you will have water because it is a low area and the water will migrate from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It becomes a basin."

Friends of mine chipped in:
This is great news! Everyone knows that Ethiopia has been just a half step behind Kenya in the world of distance running for ages. Now that there won't be a horrible drought in those parts anymore, Ethiopia can take its rightful place atop the world in track and field!
Or maybe they'll just trash the distance running thing and become a power in beach volleyball! Or sailing. Perhaps Ethiopia will win the America's Cup in a million years...

Humala and his economic vision

2006-02-28T18:56:00.000-05:00

Ollanta Humala, if elected president, would service Peru's $30 billion debt and maintain a small fiscal deficit despite generous welfare plans, Gonzalo Garcia, his top economic adviser, said today.
With his plans to increase state control of the economy, he would finance his overhaul of decaying hospitals and schools with bonds issued on local markets and higher royalties in key industries such as mining, Garcia said.
Humala has scared investors with his plans to force foreign-owned projects into taking a state partner if elected, sending the stock market tumbling in late December. Inspired by Peru's 1970s military government, which kicked out foreign companies, Humala says he is "anti-imperialist".
But Garcia said Humala also was mindful of the 20-year economic decline which started during those years. "We've got to be radical to correct Peru's woes, but we can't go and destroy everything. A Humala government will mean low inflation, low country risk, a stable exchange rate and a low deficit," said Garcia, 59, a director of Peru's central bank on leave, who is running as Humala's vice president.
"We're not looking to past policies," he told reporters.

Foreign investment and economic stability under outgoing President Alejandro Toledo have been crucial to Peru's strong economic growth since 2002 and Peru is home to Latin America's largest gold mine, Yanacocha, which is owned by U.S.-based Newmont Mining.
But many Peruvians, half of whom live on around $1.25 a day, complain they have seen few benefits, are unable to find stable jobs and do not have access to clean drinking water.
Humala, who has won support from Peru's poorest in remote rural areas, has promised to pull 1 million Peruvians out of poverty by 2011 and create a fund for social projects, despite empty government coffers due to low tax hauls, corruption and often misdirected public spending. Ninety percent of Peru's budget goes to pay debt and public sector salaries, leaving little room for social spending.
The scenario could be a worry for foreign bondholders, as a deficit of over 2 percent of gross domestic product raises the specter of more government borrowing and less money for debt service. Peru reported a deficit of 0.4 percent of GDP in 2005.

Garcia, a left-leaning academic who joined the campaign to reassure investors and draw up a credible economic plan, said there was plenty of demand for more government debt issuance in Peru's developing capital markets, which would allow Humala to give educational grants and fund agricultural programs.
"We're considering a windfall tax on companies that generate high profits, and higher royalties,". Garcia said Humala's comments that he would seek a "review" of Peru's foreign debt payments had been misinterpreted. "Bonds are bonds and we have to service them. But we want to move most of the debt into the local sol market. We believe there's plenty of demand."

(reported by Robin Emmott, Reuters)

The Reliability Of Peruvian Surveys

2006-02-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

(from Bloomberg.com)

"Peruvian voter support for presidential candidate Lourdes Flores fell for the second straight survey as her two main rivals gained in polling before April's election.

Flores' support among voters dropped to 33 percent in a Feb. 26 poll from 35 percent on Feb. 13, according to a survey by Lima- based polling firm Apoyo Opinion y Mercado. Backing for Ollanta Humala, leader of the Peruvian Nationalist Party, rose to 26 percent from 25 percent, while former President Alan Garcia's support rose to 22 percent from 17 percent, Apoyo said.

Another former president, Valentin Paniagua, rated 7 percent, while Martha Chavez, head of former President Alberto Fujimori's Alliance for the Future coalition, rated 4 percent. Apoyo surveyed 2,000 people nationwide from Feb. 22 to 24. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

Flores, 46, a lawyer and former congresswoman, backs free- market policies and a trade agreement with the U.S. Humala, 42, a former army lieutenant colonel who took over a mine owned by Southern Copper Corp. in a revolt against Fujimori in October 2000, proposes higher corporate taxes, renegotiation of oil and mining contracts and limits on foreign investment."

So how reliable are Peruvian voter surveys?
In the recent past opinion polls have proved to be notoriously bad guides to electoral behaviour. You need only look to 1990 when the right-wing candidate and world famous author Mario Vargas Llosa was widely expected to win the contest only a couple of months before it took place. Or to 1995 when former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, was tipped to take the presidency. Both men were defeated by former President Alberto Fujimori. Take into account too the fact that Apoyo failed to forecast Evo Morales’ triumph in Bolivia a couple of months ago. Apoyo predicted a very close race. Morales won by a landslide. And then there is the very large number of "don’t knows" and "undecideds" being registered in recent polls. It all makes up for a very uncertain outlook.

The countdown to April 9 continues and anything can happen...

How To Sing The Blues

2006-02-24T18:17:00.000-05:00

If you are new to Blues music, or like it but never really understood the whys and wherefores, here are some very fundamental rules:

1. Most Blues begin with: "Woke up this morning..."

2. "I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, unless you stick something nasty in the next line like, "I got a good woman, with the meanest face in town."

3. The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it. Then find something that rhymes - sort of: "Got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Yes, I got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher and she weighs 500 pound."

4. The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a ditch...ain't no way out.

5. Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and broken-down trucks. Blues don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or Sport Utility Vehicles. Most Blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft and state-sponsored motor pools ain't even in the running. Walkin' plays a major part in the Blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to die.

6. Teenagers can't sing the Blues. They ain't fixin' to die yet. Adults sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis.

7. Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or anywhere in Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just clinical depression. Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, and Nawlins are still the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the Blues in any place that don't get rain.

8. A man with male pattern baldness ain't the Blues. A woman with male pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg 'cause you were skiing is not the Blues. Breaking your leg 'cause a alligator be chomping on it is.

9. You can't have no Blues in an office or a shopping mall. The lighting is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster.

10. Good places for the Blues
a. highway
b. jailhouse
c. empty bed
d. bottom of a whiskey glass

11. Bad places for the Blues
a. Nordstrom's / Saga Falabella
b. gallery openings
c. Ivy League institutions
d. golf courses

12. No one will believe it's the Blues if you wear a suit, 'less you happen to be an old person, and you slept in it.

13. Do you have the right to sing the Blues?
Yes, if:
a. you're older than dirt
b. you're blind
c. you shot a man in Memphis
d. you can't be satisfied
No, if:
a. you have all your teeth
b. you were once blind but now can see
c. the man in Memphis lived
d. you have a 401K or trust fund

14. Blues is not a matter of color. It's a matter of bad luck. Tiger Woods cannot sing the Blues. Sonny Liston could have. Ugly white people also got a leg up on the Blues.

15. If you ask for water and your darlin' gives you gasoline, it's the Blues. Other acceptable Blues beverages are:
a. cheap wine
b. whisky or bourbon
c. muddy water
d. black coffee
The following are NOT Blues beverages:
a. Perrier
b. Chardonnay
c. Snapple
d. Slim Fast

16. If death occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's a Blues death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to die. So are the electric chair, substance abuse and dying lonely on a broken-down cot. You can't have a Blues death if you die during a tennis match or while getting liposuction.

17. Some Blues names for women:
a. Sadie
b. Big Mama
c. Bessie
d. Fat River Dumpling

18. Some Blues names for men:
a. Joe
b. Willie
c. Little Willie
d. Big Willie

19. Persons with names like Michelle, Amber, Jennifer, Debbie, and Heather can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis.

20. Blues Name Starter Kit
a. name of physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.)
b. first name (see above) plus name of fruit (Lemon, Lime, Kiwi, etc.)
c. last name of President (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.)For example: Blind Lime Jefferson, Pegleg Lemon Johnson or Cripple Kiwi Fillmore, etc. (Well, maybe not "Kiwi.")

21. I don't care how tragic your life is: if you own a computer, you cannot sing the blues, period.
Sorry!

Picture Of The Day: US Sportsfan

2006-02-23T14:22:00.000-05:00

I will leave the commenting part to you....

Feel-Good Coffee Perks Up Sex Life

2006-02-22T21:00:00.000-05:00

Having spent 8 years in the coffee-drinking capital of the world, Seattle, I sure know my Latte's, Cappuccino's, Americano's and whatever else. After coming to Lima, I was glad to see a Starbucks within walking distance. I also knew that Peru is one of a few coffee-growing countries in the world. I never really cared much if the beans in my coffee came from Kenya, the Carribbean or Papua New Guinea, my taste buds really aren't that sensitive.
So, after the bad press Peru received by its extended vulnerability for the "Kamasutra" computer virus, there are some positive news emerging: Java-Sutra!
Java Sutra is anything but a typical cup of coffee. It is infused with organic Peruvian Maca, and regularly drinking the potent elixir leads to a gentle and sustained boost in sex drive.
Cultivated in Peru for more than 6,000 years, Maca was first used in Incan fertility rituals and given to warriors for strength before battle. This ancient supplement is still used by indigenous people and recent clinical studies in Europe and South America confirm Maca's positive effect on sexuality.
"I didn't really believe drinking coffee could affect my libido," Miriam, a 46-year-old woman, said, who tested the product. "But, after drinking the brew every morning for two weeks, I found myself enjoying sex more than I have in quite a while."
According to its marketer, not only does Java-Sutra boost the libido, it is also known to increase energy, balance hormone levels, and is loaded with anti-oxidants, vitamins, calcium, good carbs, and much, much more.

forget Viagra, I gotta get me one of those...

Wanted! Peru's "First Family"

2006-02-22T11:58:00.000-05:00

Feb.22, 2006 - Update:
a little initiative works wonders sometimes. Miguel Toledo was captured by the police yesterday evening in central Lima. And it took the judge just a couple of hours to sentence him to 4-years conditional probation (prisión no efectiva) and a $2,500 fine. Surprisingly, the prosecution didn't even appeal the verdict right away, they are just thinking about it.
The Peruvian justice system can be really strange, its decisions are truly hard to understand at times.

Makes you go... "huh???"

on my way to a bookstore yesterday I noticed a poster glued to a lamp post: "Se busca! Acusado por violación" which translates to "Wanted! Accused of rape". The picture underneath shows Miguel Toledo, nephew of the President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo.
Miguel Toledo (36) is on the run for 4 months now since he fled his rape trial in November, but the upcoming presidential elections have put this issue, like all other news, on the backburner.
Now an initiative of the Woman's Rights group 'Manuela Ramos' calls for the attention and support of the public to find him.
"The police is not in a condition to handle this matter, for different reasons", Gina Yáñez, president of 'Manuela Ramos', said. "Perhaps this case is going to help so that other rape cases can be solved, according to the law", she explained the decision of launching the campaign against Miguel Toledo. There are thousands of unsolved sexual violation cases in Peru.
No monetary reward is offered, the group only appeals the people's solidarity and sensitivity and to give information of the President's nephew's whereabouts.

A judge issued an arrest order for Miguel Toledo in November after rejecting a defense attorney's argument that the defendant was unable to attend court because of an ear infection. Prosecutors are seeking a six-year prison sentence.
Miguel Toledo and three other men are accused of luring a 22-year-old woman to a restaurant in March 2004 to discuss a job offer. Instead, they allegedly drugged her and took her to a hotel where she was raped.
Before disappearing, Miguel Toledo denied drugging the woman and said that a sexual encounter did occur, but that it was consensual.

Miguel is not the only 'First-Family' member in trouble with the law. Margarita, the president's sister, has been under house arrest since January 2005 on charges that she oversaw a scheme to forge petition signatures to get the president's political party on the ballot in 2000.
Last month, another of President Toledo's nephews, Williams Toledo, 23, was sentenced to 16 months probation for his part in a brawl with two security guards outside a Lima night club that reportedly broke out over an argument about paying for parking.
Other relatives of Toledo, including his wife Eliane Karp, have been accused of crimes as well, mostly corruption charges. The scandals the relatives of the president were surrounded are one of the most negative aspects of his 5-year tenure, expressed by Peruvians in various surveys.
Toledo is not eligible for re-election and will give control to his successor on July 28.

Latin America: Honeymoon With Democracy Is Over!

2006-02-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

great article in Sunday's Houston Chronicle

After decades of domination by dictators, the land that runs from northern Mexico south to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, has become governed almost wholly by freely chosen leaders. For nearly 20 years, elections have taken place like clockwork. In a 14-month cycle that began last November and ends in December, 12 new heads of state will have been selected.

But just as a raucous wedding can give way to a rocky marriage, elections often have produced governments that have been inept or unfaithful to the people who elected them. Many voters feel betrayed because they think democracy has failed to generate widespread prosperity, reduce crime or bridge the huge gap between rich and poor.

The honeymoon with democracy is over.

Humala officially charged

2006-02-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Humala officially charged

(Feb. 17, 2006, link in title)

According to the Associated Press, Ollanta Humala has been officialy accused of atrocities during his 1992 command of a jungle counterinsurgency base.
Three criminal complaints accusing retired Lt. Col. Ollanta Humala of forced disappearance, torture and attempted murder were filed Tuesday with a prosecutor in the northern jungle town of Tocache, Alejandro Silva, of the National Coordinator for Human Rights in Peru, told reporters.
A secretary for Tocache prosecutor Arturo Artemio Campos confirmed Thursday that the complaints had been received from the group, which represents 63 human rights organizations, but refused to elaborate.
In recent weeks local media have aired testimonies from jungle residents accusing him of overseeing systematic abuses in the zone, a former hotspot of drug trafficking and guerrilla activity.
Humala has acknowledged commanding the base under the nom de guerre of "Captain Carlos" but denies any wrongdoing.

In a report in today's La Republica, one of the three accusers, Teresa Ávila Creek, blames Ollanta Humala for the disappearance of her sister and brother-in-law.
The couple was kidnapped by a military group on June 17, 1992, in the presence of their four children.
Teresa Ávila did not have any doubts in identifying Ollanta Humala as 'Captain Carlos', the person in charge of the obduction of her relatives because on the following day she spoke with him at the Madre Mía military base.

"I offered myself to 3 months of free labor for the base in exchange for their liberation but 'Captain Carlos' denied. Back then he was thinner and younger, but he is the same one, he is now the presidential candidate ".

Humala: They want to destroy my candidacy

(Jan. 29, 2006 - freely translated from 'La Republica', link here)

Ollanta Humala spoke in front of supporters in Puno yesterday. Puno is located in one of the largest coca plant growing areas in Peru. Before thousands of followers and nationalist party members he again expressed his commitment to support those dedicated to the cultivation of coca and proposed its industrialization. He believes the current government plans the eradication of the coca cultivation, which he described as "unjust".
"What we will do with the production of coca leafs is to industrialize it. Coca leafs is one thing, cocaine is another. We are against this antisocial treatment and if I should become president we will fight this plague (he actually used the word 'flagellate'). In order to prevent the coca leafs going into drug-trafficking, we are going to process it here, which will also create more sources of work and greater income for our farmers", Humala said, although he did not explain what markets would buy the coca grower's production.
Humala took the opportunity to address several other subjects in his speech. He said that 'they' want to destroy his candidacy and this attempt has united some 'powerful groups'.
He also reacted to an earlier denunciation by Gustavo Pacheco, congressman of Puno, that he had violated human rights while he was in charge of a military base in Huallaga. Humala responded by calling Pacheco a liar and that he is only trying to prevent his presidency of the Republic. His reference to Pacheco was well received by the crowd. Shouts of 'treasonous and corrupt' were thrown at the congressman.

In regard to the serious denunciations against the congressional candidates of his party, Ollanta said that the "people have nothing to worry about, since they are only preliminary candidates and in the case that the accusations proof to be correct, they will be removed from the list of candidates."

He congratulated his opponent, Lourdes Flores, for currently being ahead in the race for president of the Republic, according to recent surveys and asked current president Alejandro Toledo and his members of congress not to leave the country until after the elections in order to investigate charges of corruption during his tenure.

see also: Ollanta Humala - The Big Unknown

un lobo de vacaciones

2006-02-06T11:18:00.000-05:00

I will be 'loboing' in Tumbes (Punta Sal) this week, wolfing around surfers and howling at the moon from a hammock on the terrace of our bamboo hut.
This tropical city is near the border to Ecuador and surrounded by ricefields and banana plantations. Not exactly the right nutrition for a hungry wolf, but what the heck. The water of the ocean has a temperature of 30°C (86F) all year round, and the beaches are magnificent, so I heard.
I'm going to recharge my batteries after yesterday's Superbowl loss and stay away from politics for a while, and go photo-hunting instead.

From what I read, Punta Sal is a large beach resort, a growing hot vacation spot for the water or beach enthusiast, or someone who just wants to relax and eat great seafood. Shrimp, lobster and fish are the staple here. The sandy beaches are long, white and incredibly beautiful. Fishing, swimming, surfing, water-skiing, yachting and canoeing are all great pastimes to enjoy here. Nearby is the famous Caleta de la Cruz de Pizarro, where Conquistadores landed more than 400 years ago to begin the conquest of Peru, as well as Hemingway’s favorite fishing spot, Cabo Blanco.

Hasta Luego

Mosquito on the wall...

2006-02-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

here's a Sunday update on the latest political news from Peru:

- There may be another reason for Alberto Fujimori's surprise trip from his save haven in Japan to Chile in November 2005, besides forging a comeback and run for Peru's presidency once again. El Comercio reports that Peruvian Foreign Minister Óscar Maúrtua received a letter from Japan late September, which hinted that the Japanese Public Prosecutor would investigate a possible slackering of the banking secret regarding Fujimori's assets and that the Japanese government in general had "lowered the finger" (bajó el dedo) towards him, meaning a loosening of the protection he received in Japan until then, which would have made a stay in his second homeland increasingly uncomfortable, according to El Comercio.

- The Peruvian Medical Federation anounced that doctors will go on indefinite general strike starting February 28th, if the government does not fulfill its commitments ratified in a contract with the union in 2005. The agreement emphasizes the "leveling of doctor's salaries with the colleagues of the Social Insurance of Health (EsSalud)". The participation of all union bases in the provinces is expected.

- The bishop of Chimbote, Monseñor Luis Bambarén, recommended that the presidential candidates have a public television debate before the first election, in order to expose their government programs to the citizens and to abandon their current "anecdotal" approach.
"We must know the proposals of each candidate, we demand from them to expose, how they are going to confront the fight against poverty, proposals for their health and education policies, we want to know their ideas", the cleric said.

- Former president (1985-1990) and current candidate of the APRA, Alan García, is now open to the idea of a public debate with conservative candidate Lourdes Flores Nano of the Unidad Nacional party, the current frontrunner in recent surveys. His reiteration is related to a project which allows workers who are current members of a private pension plan (AFP) to return to the national pension fund.

¿usted mira el Superbowl?

2006-02-02T18:23:00.000-05:00

Superbowl XL

It's Superbowl Sunday and I would really like to know how many Peruvians are interested in American Football and how many are watching the game on TV (ESPN, 6 PM).
Please vote below !!! Thanks

El Superbowl es el domingo y me gustaría saber cuántos Peruanos están interesados en el Futbol Americno y cuántos están viendo de partido por TV (ESPN, 6 PM).
Por favor, votar abajo !!! Gracias

TELEFÓNICA - Conquistadores Of The 21st Century

2006-02-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

With their latest takeover, British mobile phone company O2 for roughly 26 billion Euros ($31.5 billion), chairman César Alierta intends to create the largest communication empire in the world. And nothing is too expensive to reach that goal.
The O2 acquisition secures a magnificent starting point in the lucrative british, irish and german mobile phone market. On their way to the European top, the German Telekom/T-Mobile is probably the only serious competition.
In Latin America, the conquistadores of modern times are already the champions, occupying the highest peaks of the Andes, blue and green is everywhere. Telefónica is dominating the telecommunication landscape in Brasil, Argentina, and Peru. Here in Incaland they have already taken a stranglehold on local and long-distance services, Internet access and cable TV with a monopolistic strategy. In his 5 1/2 year tenure, Alierta also succeeded in enlarging his enterprise into the largest mobile phone supplier in South America.
But the always ambitous "Julius Caesar", so his nickname, wants more. Telefónica wants to rise to the world's "best and largest integrated telecommunication supplier". Business insiders and analysts say he has a knack for always doing the right thing at the right moment. When the market asked for restructuring, he did the necessary adjustments. When the market was growing, he went on an expansion course.
Outside of Spain's borders however, faith and trust in the tight-lipped, taciturn man from Zaragoza is less distinctive. The aquisition of 10 mobile phone providers from US giant 'Bell South' in Central- and South America gave Telefónica pole position in many countries, inlcuding Venezuela, Uruguay, Ecuador and Nicaragua. Almost half of the conquistadores' revenue is generated in South America. This guarantees growth but is also risky. High fluctuating exchange rates, political instability and inflation puts a strain on the company's yearly outcome and made the financial markets sneeze.
A nuicance for Alierta because it has the effect of a chock block for a any sustainable increase of Telefónica's enterprise value.

I for one am looking forward for some competition here. Competition is healthy, is innovative and keeps prices low. Paying almost $40 monthly for a snail-paced 350kbps Internet connection is pretty steep for the "average José" and the service sucks.
At least the emergence of Skype, which I use for all long-distance calls, balances the cost a little.

Bush on Global Warming

2006-01-31T18:08:00.000-05:00

Update: Feb.1, 2006:
So I checked into CNN last night to listen what he had to say. Well, in my humble opinion: nothing, at least nothing new. Kinda flat, the whole speech.
So the former Texan oil magnat says that Americans are addicted to oil and the only way to break this addiction is through technology. Well, hello??? Now there's a revelation. America is still spending money on research and development for alternative energry sources that other countries have already installed! Drive through Europe today and check the houses' roofs for solar panels and the thousands of windmills on hill tops, softly turning their wings, just to name a couple. The increases he proposed in clean-energy research, better batteries for hybrid cars and new ways of making ethanol, largely piggyback on programs already under way at General Motors and Ford, Toyota and Honda, rather than charting a new course.
"And we are on the threshold of incredible advances", W. says. Good for you, it's about time.

Let's see, what else? Mmmh, nothing really, besides the annoying shoulder padding, clapping and Pilates exercises. Stand up for the champions, for the champions, stand up (can't wait for the FIFA World Cup to start, only 128 days left!).

And the opposition? The Democrats? One fellow blogger described it this way:
"Bush made a reference to his Social Security initiatives he put before Congress last year. He talked about how the Congress failed to act on it, and in response, the Democratic half of the aisle stood up and smiled, clapping and cheering like a bunch of toddlers standing over a toilet bowl, watching their first turd circle in the spinning water. There was one particularly nauseating shot of Hillary Clinton with a retarded grin on her face during this outburst.

And that, my Democratic friends, is what your party has become. It embodies everything that is wrong and disgusting and corrupt in politics these days. The vast majority of your representation in Washington stood up in celebration of doing NOTHING. They disagreed with the President’s approach to fixing social security, so what did they do? Offer an alternative plan? No. Ask him to come to the table and hear their ideas? No. Forge ANY original ideas of their own whatsoever? No. Instead, they spewed a bunch of rhetoric to make them look good to their constituents, called the President some names, further drove a wedge between the parties and blocked the proposal."

I agree. That's the dilemma we're in, in today's political world: weak leaders are opposed by an even weaker opposition! Where have all the great statesmen gone.....

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

George W. Bush will give his "State Of The Union" speech at 9 PM (EST & Lima time) tonight. Watch it on CNN if you can. Here's a little excerpt on what he will say about the Global Warming issue:

(photo provided by templar_1314 on flickr.com)

well, the people of Peru and South America in general shouldn't complain too much, since they are contributing a great deal to the world's air pollution. Sometimes the smog in Lima, caused in part by 20-30 year old cars with broken mufflers, is unbearable. But what can you do, these cars is all they can afford.

- sigh -

Will Chile extradite Fujimori? A Chronology

2006-01-31T15:47:00.000-05:00

April 18th, 2006 - Update:

The Supreme Court of Argentina ruled in favor of extraditing peruvian television industralists José Francisco and José Enrique Crosuillat, both wanted by Peruvian justice for their bond with Fujimori's ex-spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos. They are accused of the crimes of "peculado, illicit association to break the law and corruption of civil employees". Both appear in the so-called 'vladivideos' receiving money in the millions.
The Argentine lawyer who represents the Peruvian state, Hugo Wortman, indicated that the ex-directors of 'América Televisión' could be transferred to Lima within ten days.
Peru ordered the capture of the two TV moguls in February 2001 after a video spread in which they were seen receiving money from Montesinos, supposedly in exchange for putting the channel in favor of the government of Alberto Fujimori.

April 6th, 2006 - Sidenote:

Alberto Fujimori married his Japanese sweetheart Thursday by filing legal documents in Japan, a spokesman for the woman's company said.
Representatives of Fujimori and longtime friend Satomi Kataoka, owner of Tokyo's upscale Hotel Princess Garden, filed a marriage registration for the couple in the Japanese capital, said hotel spokesman Tetsuo Matsui.
In Japan, couples are officially married once the registration has been submitted to a municipal office. Kataoka resides in the Tokyo area.
Ms Kataoka has now travelled to Peru for the country's presidential and congressional elections on Sunday, where her stepdaughter, Keiko Fujimori, is running for Congress. She looks likely to win a seat in Congress that she hopes to use to try to clear her father's name.

April 4th, 2006 - Update:

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori will be extradited from Chile to Peru to face corruption and human rights charges before this summer, Peru's Justice Minister Alejandro Tudela said Tuesday. Tudela said the extradition would be completed before Peru's current administration leaves office in July.

April 3rd, 2006 - Sidenote:

The daughter of Alberto Fujimori looks likely to win a seat in Congress this weekend that she hopes to use to try to clear her father's name.
Polls show that Keiko Fujimori, who acted as first lady for her father when she was just 19, is the most popular congressional candidate from Lima and would likely win one of the 35 seats from the capital. The legislature has 120 seats.
Keiko Fujimori, a charismatic 30-year-old, would receive 14.3 percent of votes for Congress in the April 9 election, enough to make victory likely given the size of the pool of candidates, according to a poll done on March 15-19 by Peru's respected CPI agency. The poll was released on Monday.

March 30, 2006 - Update:

Amnesty International and Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos del Peru, the National Human Rights Coordinating Body of Peru, revealed today that over 20,000 people from all over the world had joined the international campaign to ensure that the case against Alberto Fujimori is resolved promptly.
The signatures – from countries including England, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Peru – are part of a set of signatures which will be presented to the Chilean courts in the near future.
"The 20,000 signatures represent 20,000 victims of the armed conflict in Peru. The only thing these victims received from Fujimori was torture, death and impunity," Amnesty International said.
"It is crucial for Peru’s future that Fujimori is tried for the crimes against humanity of which he is accused. A Peru without justice is a country without a future," said the Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos.
"The struggle against impunity must be pursued not only by relatives who are committed to the question of justice but by all societies who understand and support the issue. Only in this way will be able to punish human rights violators," said Gisella Ortiz, sister of Luis Enrique Ortiz Perea, one of the victims of the massacre that took place at La Cantuta University.
"No one with a modicum of moral sensitivity can remain indifferent to these cases," said Jaime Beneyto, an Amnesty International volunteer in Spain, as he signed the petition.
"What made me sign is that personally I feel it is ridiculous that crimes of this kind can go unpunished," said Edurne de la Hera, a cyberactivist from Spain.
"I joined the campaign because I believe that crimes against humanity should be punished so that these kinds of acts, which wound the very conscience of humanity, will never again be committed," said Pablo Arenales, a Colombian human rights defender.
"The campaign will continue until all victims of human rights violations in Peru receive justice and reparation," said Amnesty International.

March 28, 2006 - Update:

The Chilean judge examining Peru's request for the extradition of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori will ask Japan to provide judicial documents detailing exchanges between Japan and Peru on the same request, the secretariat of Chile's Supreme Court said Tuesday.
The decision was made in response to a request by Fujimori's lawyers, who claim the Japanese documents will show Peru failed to provide convincing evidence to grant an extradition request.

March 21, 2006 - Update:

1) The campaign for the re-election of ex- president Alberto Fujimori in the last decade cost more than 4 million dollars, money that was taken from the public treasury (Ministry of Defense and the National Intelligence Service). Those were the established results in the closing report of expert investigators, which was presented today before the the Superior Court of Justice in Lima.

2) The Peruvian government will present a writ to the Chilean judge Orlando Álvarez in order to refute the arguments of former president Alberto Fujimori, prosecutor Antonio Maldonado informed. “We want to express the position of the Peruvian government in front of Fujimori’s declarations. Furthermore we are interested in specifying the points to be discussed in this process”.
During the interrogations Fujimori said he was innocent of all the charges presented by the Peruvian justice, he did not remember the corruption cases nor the violations of human rights during his regime. When he was asked about the massacres of Barrios Altos and La Cantuta, he answered that he heard on the radio about the first one and he read in a local newspaper about the second one. He added that he ignored the theft of public funds and the payment of millionaire “gifts” (coimas) for the purchase of weapons.

March 18, 2006 - Update:

A U.S. lawyer hired to track down hidden assets of Augusto Pinochet said on Thursday that he had identified more than $100 million in bank accounts linked to the former Chilean dictator.
"It's in excess of $100 million to be sure," said Pedro Martinez-Fraga of the Miami-based Greenberg Traurig law firm. He had been following the money trail of Pinochet for a year and a half after being hired for the job by the Chilean government. Chile's courts have since found more than a hundred accounts linked to Pinochet under different names.
Martinez-Fraga said he expected to be hired soon to look into whether funds were stashed in secret bank accounts by ex-Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori and his notorious former spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos.
"It would be an inquiry into Fujimori and Montesinos," he said. "The government of Chile recommended my services," he added without elaborating.

March 12, 2006 - Update:

Side note: Alberto Fujimori will wed his longtime Japanese girlfriend in the coming weeks, a spokesman for the ex-leader said Sunday. Satomi Kataoka, a Japanese hotel magnate, announced at a Lima disco Saturday night that she will marry Fujimori before Peru's April 9 elections.

Feb.21, 2006 - Update:

Chile's Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down a request from Fujimori's lawyers for his release on bail.
The ruling by the Supreme Court makes it likely Fujimori will be held in custody in Chile for a long period of time because it will take six months to a year before the court reaches a final conclusion after deliberations.

Jan.31, 2006 - Update:

Fujimori was questioned by a Chilean judge today, the first of many such meetings as Chile decides if it will extradite him to face corruption and human rights charges at home.
"This will be the first of various interrogations," court spokesman Miguel Gonzales told reporters.
Orlando Alvarez, the Supreme Court judge handling the Fujimori case, must examine 12 boxes of evidence against the former leader before recommending for or against extradition to Peru.
The court spokesman said Fujimori was questioned for four hours on Tuesday.

Jan.27, 2006 - Update:

Peru's national election commission has rejected an objection a group of Fujimori supporters had filed against the commission's final decision to ban him from running in the presidential election in April, Peruvian newspapers reported Friday.

Jan.9, 2006 - Update:

The Electoral Court rejected Mr Fujimori's candidacy on Sunday, two days after his daughter registered him for the April 9 election, and a day before the deadline to enter the race, which falls Monday at midnight, Peruvian media reported.
The court will announce its ruling officially on Tuesday.

Jan.6, 2006 - Update:

A Supreme Court judge ordered Friday that former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori be held indefinitely pending Chile's consideration of a request from Peru for his extradition.
Judge Orlando Alvarez issued the ruling shortly after receiving the roughly 16,000 pages of documentation submitted by Lima to support its extradition request.
The decision closed the door on the defense's hopes of getting Fujimori freed on bail while Chilean authorities ponder the extradition, but he will be allowed to receive visitors in detention.

Jan.3, 2006 - Update::

Today, Peru formally asked Chile to extradite former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori so he can be tried on human rights and corruption charges. The request was delivered to Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker by Peruvian Ambassador Jose Antonio Meir and special prosecutor Antonio Maldonado.

The 12 cases compiled by Peru against Fujimori include the death squad killing of 25 people in two incidents known as La Cantuta and Barrios Altos, illegal telephone tapping, diversion of state money to the intelligence service, bribing of politicians, and the transfer of $15 million to Fujimori's spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos.

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

Nov.22, 2005:

"Chile's Supreme Court on Monday upheld a ruling by a lower tribunal rejecting a request to free former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori as he battles to avoid extradition to Peru. The ruling means that he remains under arrest at an academy for corrections officers in Santiago. Last Friday, Peru's Supreme Court approved nine charges for extradition, abuse of power and embezzlement are among the charges. The court will decide next week on whether it should include another round of charges, such as kidnapping and human rights violations. The judges said in a statement that the charges are in line with the 1932 extradition treaty signed between Chile and Peru. The Peruvian government made the request of arresting and extraditing Fujimori to the Chilean Foreign Ministry soon after his arrival in Chile in a private jet from Tokyo via Mexico.Fujimori, born in Peru to Japanese immigrants and was president from 1990 to 2000, fled Peru in November 2000 after a corruption scandal. He faxed his resignation soon after from a Tokyo hotel.Fujimoru is represented by the same Chilean attorneys who successfully represented former Argentinian president Carlos Menem in 2004, who was living in Chile, and faced an extradition request from Argentina to face alleged financial crimes. The Chilean Supreme Court denied Argentina's extradition requests on the grounds that they did not meet legal requirements."

Hoping that justice will be served in the country where the crimes were commited!

more infos and background
Fujimori Dossier

Blogging From Death Row

2006-01-31T10:34:00.000-05:00

Vernon Lee Evans is sitting in a cell on death row for 20 years. In his blog meetvernon.blogspot.com he answers questions about life on the "Green Mile". Because he does not have an Internet connection, his blog is maintained by Virginia Simmons. She collects questions, sends them to Vernon and publishes his answers on his blog.
Vernon was convicted of killing David Scott Piechowicz and Susan Kennedy. It was a heinous crime but he maintains his innocence, he says he did not pull the trigger.

He is set to be executed during the week of February 6, 2006, meaning that his correspondece will soon come to an end.

Ollanta Humala - The Big Unknown

2006-01-28T11:02:00.000-05:00

The presidential elections in Peru are only less than 3 months away (April 9) and we've reached halftime now since the first national voters survey was conducted. The graphic below the left shows the astonishing shift in voter's opinion since then.
Ollanta Humala has become the frontrunner, according to a poll by Apoyo published in El Comercio. 28 per cent of respondents would support the Peruvian Nationalist Party (PNP) candidate.

Lourdes Flores Nano of the Popular Christian Party (PPC) is second with 25 per cent, followed by former president Alan García of the American Revolutionary People’s Alliance (APRA) with 15 per cent, and former head of state, Valentín Paniagua, of Popular Action (AP) with 10 per cent. Support is lower for Jaime Salinas of National Justice (JN) and Martha Chávez of New Majority (NM).

In a two-candidate runoff, however, Flores still had a 46-39 percent edge. The top two candidates will have a runoff if none of the 23 candidates wins a first-round majority.

Ollanta Humala's increasing popularity is prompting fear that Latin America's commitment to market-based reforms is waning and it has rattled Peru's financial markets. Humala, a former military officer and left-wing opponent of free trade and free-market policies, recently proclaimed deep admiration for the 1968-75 leftist dictatorship of Peruvian Gen. Juan Velasco, who carried out a largely failed agrarian reform, nationalized industries and forged close military ties with the Soviet Union. His economic plans unsettle many in the middle and upper classes. And some voters worry that members of his Indian-descended family are avowed racists and ultranationalists. His father describes himself as a Marxist, expresses admiration for Hitler and believes Peru's Indians and mestizos should rule. Humala insists he does not share their extremist beliefs.

He has the support of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. His rapid growth in popularity and close association with Chávez and recently elected president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, reflects the emergence of a more radical and populist left in Latin America, particularly in the impoverished Andean region.

Humala, a (now retired) Army Lieutenant Colonel, led an uprising in Toquepala against then President Alberto Fujimori in October 2000. The main reason for the rebellion was the return to Peru of Vladimiro Montesinos, the former intelligence chief, who had fled Peru in search of asylum in Panama after having been caught on video trying to bribe an opposition MP. This lead to increasing fears that he still maintained considerable power in the Peruvian government.
Humala and about 60 other Peruvian soldiers revolted against senior Army Commanders. By the end of the rebellion however, many of Humala's men would desert him leaving him with only 7 men. During the revolt Humala had called on Peruvian "patriots" to join him in the rebellion, and some 300 former soldiers answered his call. His revolt also was able to gain considerable sympathy from the Peruvian populace with the influential left-of-center newspaper La Republica calling him "valiant and decisive, unlike most in Peru". The newspaper also had many letters sent in by readers with accolades to Ollanta and his men.
In the aftermath the Army had sent out hundreds of soldiers to try and capture Humala and his remaining men. They had managed to stay in hiding long enough for the political situation to change, with President Fujimori being impeached from office and Valentin Paniagua being made interim president.
This gave him the ability to come out of hiding and releasing a statement officially calling off the rebellion. Humala and his men would march to Lima and swear their allegiance to Paniagua.
He was pardoned by Congress and was allowed to return to military duty. He was sent to Paris then to South Korea until December 2004, when he was forcibly retired. His being forced out of the army is suspected to have been part of the motivation behind his brother, Antauro, leading another etnocacerista rebellion in January 2005.
Ollanta and his brother are the foremost leaders of the "Movimiento Etnocacerista", an ethnic nationalist group composed of former and current Peruvian soldiers. The name "etnocacerista" refers to 19th century Peruvian president and war hero Andrés Avelino Cáceres. During the War of the Pacific, Cáceres led the Peruvian resistance against Chilean occupying forces.
Etnocaceristas strongly embrace their Incan heritage, nationalization of the country's industries, the reintroduction of the death penalty, the legalization of coca cultivation, and a strong anti-Chilean stance particularly against Chilean investors which many etnocaceristas claim are manipulating the country's economy.
The name etnocacerista itself is composed of two parts, the first evoking ethnic identity and strong identification with the country's Incan Native American origins. The second part of the name "cacerista" refers to 19th century Peruvian president and war hero Andrés Avelino Cáceres. During the War of the Pacific, Cáceres led the Peruvian resistance against Chilean occupying forces.
Etnocaceristas strongly embrace their Incan heritage, nationalization of the country's industries, the reintroduction of the death penalty, the legalization of coca cultivation, and a strong anti-Chilean stance particularly against Chilean investors which many etnocaceristas claim are manipulating the country's economy.

see also: Humala - 'They want to destroy my candidacy'

more infos and background

Hollywood Movie Preview 2006 - Peruvian Style

2006-01-27T17:10:00.000-05:00

the Hollywood outlook looks great for this year. Many potential blockbuster movies will soon flicker in a Peruvian cinema near you. Here's a quick preview, enjoy!

(click to enlarge)

ICE PRINCESS
starring: Eliane Karp and Cecilia Valenzuela

AFTER THE SUNSET
starring: a whole group of superstars

SUPERMAN
starring: Alan Grasita

THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN
starring: "Mañuco" Torres Caclla

HUMALA POTTER
starring: the brothers Humala
- special appearance by Father Isaac

THE LEGEND OF ZORRO
starring: Alberto Banderas, Martha Chavez

still in production:
BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE
starring: Lourdes "poder a la mujer" Flores Nano

(poster not ready yet due to cost overruns)

Rock me Amadeus - Mozart's 250th Birthday Bash

2006-01-27T14:23:00.000-05:00

I am not a Mozart aficionado, but what can you do if your parents name you after this genius. And that is probably all we have in common, certainly not the genius musical mind. It took Mozart quite a while until he somewhat reached my ears.

I was 10 years old when the Beatles broke up and that didn't shake my world. 90 percent of my friends and aquaintances were in tears while I remember just being sad. I was listening more to the Stones, Led Zeppelin, and the Doors. Their songs were much better suited to play catchy riffs on the air guitar in front of a mirror. Heading into my late teens and early twenties, I turned into a moderate rocker. What I mean by that is that I didn't like the Carpenters nor the Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden stuff, nor any classic music. I guess you called it mainstream rock at the time or so.
I somehow never had a knack for these uber-stars. I wasn't a Michael Jackson fan either. I was and still am more of a headset guy rather than hitting a dance floor.
The headset must have been one of the reasons that got me into classical music in my late twenties, early thirties. Another reason was a gift from my brother, a ticket to a live concert with Anne-Sophie Mutter, playing Mozart in the catacombs of a nearby monestary (parts of the movie "The Name Of The Rose" were filmed there). The acustic was absolutly phantastic. I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes and felt how the music gave me goose bumps.
Since then, classic music had and has a strong influence on my life. I listen to Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninov, Ravell, Chopin, Debussy, Wagner, and some others whenever I am all by myself, reading a book for example. One of my favorite tunes is the Adagio from Idyll Of Strings, by Leoš Janácek. But back to Wolfgang Amadeus.....

Today, the sound of the master’s music is being heard around the globe. Orchestra halls and opera houses worldwide planned performances of his works. Piano students scheduled Mozart marathons and puppeteers were planning jubilee performances as hundreds of cities across five continents toasted the musical genius.
At his birthplace in Salzburg, Austria, residents say that ”Mozart came with mother’s milk.” Mozart wrote his first symphonies before turning 10 and his first significant opera at 12. He was instrumental in changing opera into the form many of us enjoy today.

The "Wunderkind" was prolific like few others, creating at least 626 musical works despite living to only age 35. Other greats like Beethoven and Wagner publicly recognized their debt to him.

But he had plenty of detractors in his day.

Some history books depict his tenure in Salzburg ending ingloriously in 1781 with a kick in the bottom from a servant of a patron, the city’s imperious archbishop, after Mozart refused to follow orders on how to compose.

Still, the town where he was born on Jan. 27, 1756, was Mozart Central on Friday.

Always a trove for Mozart kitsch, Salzburg has outdone itself. Stores are stocked with Mozart beer and wine, Mozart baby bottles, Mozart milkshakes, Mozart knickers and Mozart jigsaw puzzles — along with the usual T-shirts, calendars and coffee mugs.

Happy Birthday, Amadeus!!!!!!!!

First International Holocaust Remembrance Day

2006-01-27T13:36:00.000-05:00

European leaders remembered the Holocaust today, the 61st anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, with commemorations shadowed by concern over anti-Israeli remarks by Iran's president. Several leaders used the occasion to reject Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statement that Israel should be wiped off the map and his description of the Holocaust, the murder of six million Jews by the forces of German dictator Adolf Hitler, as a "myth."
I, too, will honor the victims today in a moment of silent remembrance and prayer. I collected a few statements of leaders around the world:

Kofi Annan (UN General Secretary): "The world must remember the unique tragedy of the Holocaust. Holocaust denial is the work of bigots, we must reject their false claims whenever, wherever and by whomever they are made. It must be remembered, with shame and horror, for as long as human memory continues."

Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz (Polish Prime Minister): "The Holocaust is a crime that tarnishes human history. Let it be a warning today and for the future. One cannot submit to ideologies that justify the possibility of trampling on human dignity."

Norbert Lammert (German Parliament President): "The last few weeks had shown not only us Germans how very much we need this day of commemoration. It is with consternation that we have realised that even today heads of state describe the Holocaust as a myth and even go as far as making anti-Semitic statements. We want to – and we must – continue to be prepared to learn from our history. "

Fujimori - How To Steal A Democracy

2006-01-24T12:04:00.000-05:00

(link in post title)

I think this is an interesting article published in the San Francisco Chronicle two days ago. It's a nice read, a well-illustrated trip down memory lane.

La Linea

2006-01-20T17:25:00.000-05:00

Update: I found two mpeg videos! They are about 2.2 MB each and not exactly HDTV quality, but you'll get the idea and that is what counts! And thanks to Carla for adding another link to my little collection.
La Linea - Music
La Linea - Magician
La Linea - Mozart

What happened to the little, ever impatient man on the line??? Anyone out there who doesn’t remember this permanently babbling “manikin” who, as a 70’s breaktime diversion, regularly popped up during early evening TV broadcasts, cinema screenings and advertising?
I loved watching this cartoon while I grew up and yes, even into adulthood.
Christened “la linea” by its creator, the Italian cartoonist Osvaldo Cavandoli, the tiny choleric became the star of la linea, a great moment in the Italian animation school of “fumetto”. But despite its high recognition value, little has been published on this cartoon series - at least not outside of its country of origin.
Cavandoli, a resident of Milan since the age of two, started out as a technical designer for Alfa Romeo between 1938 and 1943. In 1944 he developed a keen interest for animation whilst working in the studio of animation pioneer Nino Pagot. By 1950 he had become an independent director and producer of a puppet animation for cinema advertising. In 1969 the budget by Lagostina, a manufacturer of kitchen utensils, turned out to be la linea’s midwife.
The series became a resounding success, both commercially and artistically. As part of light entertainment programming more than 100 different episodes began their triumphal procession across the television screens of 40 different nations.

Too bad that I haven't seen my little white friend in recent years. I wonder if he's still around....

Mumbai - the fastest growing city in the world

2006-01-16T17:38:00.000-05:00

How can one not know the name of an 18-Million-metropolis which is supposedly the fastest growing city in the world? Pardon my ignorance but I for one didn't. We are talking about the city formerly known by me, and in general, as Bombay. Since 1996, the city calls itself Mumbai.

The capital of Maharashtra lies on the west coast of India. The city was named after Mumba Devi, the patron goddess of the Koli fisher folk, the oldest inhabitants of Bombay. The temple dedicated to the goddess still exists.
The name Bombay, in its final form, dates back to the 18th century. Bombay was a cluster of seven islands called Heptanes by Ptolemy in 150 A.D., the Portuguese rulers named the city "Bom Bahia" or the Good Bay and the British made it Bombay. For the Hindus however it was Mambei, Mambe, Bambai, and most importantly Sonapur, the "city of gold". Geologically, Mumbai forms a part of peninsular India, which is considered to be the oldest part of the country. It is a melting pot of various ethnicities, religions and cultures.
The city is booming! More millionaires are living in Bombay than in Germany. Office leasing rates are compared to some of the highest in the world. The city generates 40 % of India's income tax and Film City, the home of "Bollywood", is producing more movies than its famous counterpart in "tinseltown".

Peruvians and the yellow superstition

2006-01-09T18:17:00.000-05:00

Feliz Año Nuevo! Viva Perú!
Witnessing new year celebrations and traditions in a foreign country for the first time is always exciting and special. Here in Peru it was extra colorful. Yellow, mostly.
According to color psychologists, it is the color of the sun, associated with laughter, happiness and good times. Yellow is associated with optimism and promise of better times. Peruvians know that all too well and they hope to "push" luck a little bit by performing some rituals including flourishing baths so that they can get a job, money and love next year.

Yellow is the dominating color in most clothing stores and shopping malls that offer a series of products for this special day. One of the most popular new year's eve traditions in "Inca-land" is to turn into a "canary" since most of them buy yellow clothes, above all underwear, a good omen sign for Peruvians.

The flourishing baths ("baño de florecimiento") are very important to start the new year with the right foot and full of positive energy, as well as water with fresh herbs and flowers should be showered on the person just before the new year comes.
For those wishing to have their dreams come true, he or she must eat 12 grapes at midnight, place a bowl full of lentils on the table or carry a suitcase around his or her block if they want to travel a lot this next year.
Another new year's eve tradition in Peru is burning dolls to ashes to bid the year farewell or leave bad luck behind and this time, the renowned "piñatas" had the face of president Alejandro Toledo who is undergoing a popularity crisis. Besides, his presidency will come to an end anyway, the elections are in April.

In every shopping mall one could find dolls with the face of president Toledo and his wife, Eliane Karp, whose temper has confronted her to the press and the political opinion.

Then there are the street- and park markets with dozens of little....you guessed it, yellow booths, covered by a cloud of charcoal smoke, selling all kinds of items and rituals to the superstitious customer. Tiny little handcrafted model houses, tons of monopoly money, golden frog statues, colored rocks and candles, coca leaves, eggs, stuffed armadillos, bottles with curative serums, and a smoking charcoal stove which serves as the "magic dust". This is how it works: for example, if you feel claustrophobic in your 1-bedroom apartment and wish for owning a new house, you have to buy a stylish miniature version of a house (I strongly recommend one with a nice swimming pool!), cover it with smoke for a while, then shower it with yellow confetti and your dream will come true. Simple as that.
If you want to know what the future holds for you, have a chunk of lead melted in a hot stove and the bizarre looking creation will tell the whole story. Another favorite are the coca leaves. They take a bunch of them, throw them on a table and this always unique picture serves as the source for your future telling.

Then there is the secret area behind a yellow curtain, to give customers some privacy while several rituals are administered. First you have to hold an egg against your chest while waiting for your turn. It starts with a prayer and an aromatic incense cloud. The ritualist then touches all parts of your body with the egg you were holding, which supposedly will take away all your fears and worries, then breaks it in a glass of water and that mixture gives the fortune teller your whole story about your health problems, trouble in your relationship(s), the whole shebang.
To clean you from all the demons and sorrows and to absorb bad thoughts and feelings, the stuffed armadillo (or "quirquincho") is placed on your head before it touches your whole body. And to finish things off, you are showered by yellow "ruda" flowers and you are being told not to wash it off with water for at least one day.
All done! Now you are ready to leave the troubles of the past behind, the slate is clean, and the new year can begin with freshness, happiness and the hope that it all pans out by making me the owner of a new house by December 31st.

Fujimori's grand plan withers behind bars

2006-01-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

(published By Colin McMahon, Chicago Tribune, January 29, 2006. check title link)

SANTIAGO, Chile -- Supporters of Alberto Fujimori will say otherwise. They will insist that everything is going to plan. But only two months before Peru votes for a new leader, the former Peruvian president is stuck in a Chilean jail.

Fujimori's triumphant return to neighboring Peru in the face of long odds, hostile political opposition and the small matter of an international arrest warrant with his name on it has at least been postponed, if not canceled.

The Chilean authorities who Fujimori hoped would ease his return from his long exile in Japan have instead put him under lock and key. And Peruvian elections are going forward without the man who ran the place throughout the 1990s and swore to be running it again soon.

"It was an extreme miscalculation," said Jose Antonio Meier, Peru's ambassador to Chile. "What exactly Fujimori had in mind we cannot say. But we know for certain it was not this."

Extradition requested

Peru this month formally asked Chile to extradite Fujimori on charges of embezzling public money and authorizing the use of death squads. A Chilean judge has ordered Fujimori held in a Santiago detention center until a court rules on the request.

Fujimori, 67, rejects the charges as political persecution and wants to clear his name. And he has vowed not to flee Chile while the extradition is considered.

But Peruvian officials argue that the former president has a history of going on the run, first from Peru in 2000, when a corruption investigation was closing in on him. Fujimori went to Japan on a state visit, faxed home his resignation as president and stayed in his ancestral homeland, invoking his Japanese citizenship.

Then last November, Fujimori slipped out of Japan, arranging a secret flight to take him to Tijuana, Mexico, and then to Santiago.

"Fujimori is a man of surprises," Meier said in an interview at the Peruvian Embassy in Santiago. "He used to always say, `I have a little surprise for you.' And then he would come in with some terrible surprises."

Peruvian officials believe Fujimori had planned to show up in Chile and quietly turn himself in to authorities to challenge the Peruvian arrest warrant that Interpol had approved in March 2003.

A strategy gone awry

Fujimori was counting on tense relations between Peru and Chile over a number of issues, most notably maritime boundaries in the Pacific, Peruvian officials said. They believe the former president assumed he would be allowed to walk free in Chile while the legalities were worked out, allowing him to run for president in Peru.

But the plan went awry in the early hours of Nov. 7, shortly after Fujimori arrived. While about to tuck into a dinner, reportedly of Peking duck, he was confronted by Chilean law-enforcement officials. They verified his identity. They arrested him. And he has been in custody since.

"He had it all arranged," said a Peruvian official in Santiago, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the case's legal and diplomatic sensitivity. "He had the hotel set up. He had a motorcade awaiting him at the airport. Everything was ready."

Supporters in Peru said Fujimori considered the Chile scenario last October while he still was in Japan. At the time, Japan was under increasing pressure to turn him over. At the same time, Fujimori was becoming increasingly convinced that he had enough popular support in Peru to regain the presidency.

While in detention, he is barred from making public statements. He rejected a meeting with Peruvian consular officials, who offered assistance because Fujimori is a Peruvian citizen detained in a foreign land.

Instead, Fujimori is huddling with his lawyers and with political allies who are in touch with supporters in Peru.

"He is in good spirits," said Fujimori's lawyer, Cesar Nakasaki, in a telephone interview from Lima. "He is showing his customary strength of personality."

Nakasaki said the Peruvian defense team is asking the Chilean court to find the case without merit. Once that happens, Nakasaki said, "freeing him would be the only logical step."

Resolution months away

But a decision on the extradition request is not expected for months. And Peru's request has won the support of human-rights groups, judicial activists and governments across the Americas. They say the record clearly shows that Fujimori stole from the state, violated human rights and subverted democracy during his decade in power.

The legal world has not been kind to Fujimori of late. Peru's top electoral commission this month rejected his last bid to be allowed on the April 9 presidential ballot. Instead, the commission declared valid a congressional order barring Fujimori from public office until February 2011.

Now his movement is represented in Peru by Martha Chavez, the presidential candidate for the Alliance for the Future. She is trailing badly in opinion polls. Some Fujimori supporters have placed their hopes in Keiko Fujimori, the former president's daughter, who announced Thursday that she will head the alliance's list of congressional candidates.

She said it was her father's wish that she enter politics.

SHAUN ALEXANDER - NFL's Most Valuable Player 2005

2006-01-05T18:25:00.000-05:00

I am not the biggest American Football fan, I actually prefer baseball and the football that is played on a pitch. Nevertheless I do follow my favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks, very closely.
The Seahawks are usually not a team to write about in regards to success or record-breaking, unless its a negative record. They haven't won a playoff game in over twenty years and this streak has been poked, prodded, questioned and mocked -- for good reason. But this year, all seems to be different. All the eyes of a football-loving nation are falling on Seattle including mine.
Today, Shaun Alexander was voted the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP), the first Seahawk ever to receive this honor. And he derseved it! He broke the NFL record by scoring 28 touchdowns this season and also led the NFL in rushing with 1,880 yards as the Seahawks posted a franchise-best 13-3 record.
He is also the only player in NFL history with at least 15 touchdowns in five consecutive seasons and the fourth with consecutive 20-touchdown years. Much credit has to go to the big, 150kg bodies in front of him, guys like Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson who pave the way for his runs.

But now it's playoff time again. Because the Hawks had the best record in the conference, they earned "home field advantage" throughout and they can lean back and watch the first round games in a recliner. 2 wins, and they are playing in the Super Bowl.

One can dream

Taxis in Lima, Peru

2006-01-01T17:41:00.000-05:00

I was just getting ready to write about the incredible experience of riding in cabs through Lima, when I ran across this article which is so accurate and well written, that I rather pass it along instead of bothering you with my lack of articulation....

(by Travis A. Smith)
There is one taxi driver for every man, woman and child in Lima. They range in size from station wagon down to circus clown transport. You can identify a taxi by its propensity to slow down and draw near as you walk down the street, similar to a beggar asking you for change; also, they all have a colorful sticker in their front window in one of several biohazard fluorescent colors. In order to be licensed as a Lima taxi driver, there is a test that consists of a) finding a store that sells the brightly colored sticker, b) counting the correct change to buy it (change counting is a critical taxi-driving skill), and c) surviving the drive home.

Taxis are inexpensive; a trip across town cost between 8 and 12 soles (like dollars, but smaller), plus about three weeks off your life from the sudden burst of adrenalin caused by fear and elation as you weave through the matrix of one-way streets. You know that scene in the matrix where Keanu Reeves stands in an empty void, and says "We're going to need a lot of guns?" Enormous rows of shelves leap into existence and sweep by him on each side; if he had been standing to his left, he would have been plowed into oblivion. Yes, it's kind of like that.

Driving in Lima -- let me rephrase that, because I would never, ever, ever drive in Lima despite being a long-time fan of the demolition derby -- being driven around in Lima, is a never-ending, long-form game of chicken. Almost all streets are one-way, so that at every intersection, the driver only needs to watch for oncoming traffic from one other direction. I did see stop signs, but I never, ever witnessed one being heeded. In fact, the signs seemed mainly to indicate that there was no need to stop; most taxi drivers sped up at those places. Every intersection became a test of timing like that old Dragon Slayer video game where you had to make a quick combination of right, left, forward, stop, to avoid various crushing boulders and walls. Big vehicles, like trucks and buses, were more commonly treated as dumb, slow obstacles as opposed to being seen as metal death dealers deserving of extra respect. Several times, a taxi driver decided the best way to get out of a traffic jam was to drive in incoming traffic. And I saw an ambulance tired of being stuck behind stopped cars and suddenly drive the wrong way around a four-lane-wide traffic circle downtown.

Priority between two equal streets is decided, and this is completely true, by which driver honks his horn first. It is much more important to be able to hear than to be able to see, because seeing a sudden oncoming hazard didn't seem to have any effect on the driver's decision to go or stop. One night, my taxi driver actually got out a small flashlight during the drive and used it to look at the dials in front of him -- I guess his night vision was a little lacking.

My personal best time for summoning a taxi in Lima was 8 seconds from the time I exited a building, but the record among my friends was even quicker -- taxis will often lurch at you as you open the door to leave a building and will also even pursue you into supermarkets and up stairs.

However, no matter how dicey the taxi situation may seem, it's far superior to the bus system. I never took a "combi" bus, but I do know several things about them. First, all buses are owned by private companies or people. Second, there are no pre-defined routes or stops. Third, each bus has a guy, or in some cases, a skimpily-dressed girl, who hangs out the side door and yells out the destination of the bus, exhorting people to take that particular ride home. Sometimes, the bus drivers change their mind about their destination in mid trip, in which case Spanish-speakers will know to transfer to another combi, and non-Spanish speakers will end up being driven to a pig-rendering facility.

Taxis have no meters so you must tell the driver where you want to go and agree on a price before you get in.
One thing I've learned very quickly is to never ride in one of those Daewoo Tico taxis. CNN described it this way in an article 2 years ago: "Being out in Lima's chaotic traffic is often like being caught in a stampede of elephants, and Peru's most common taxi -- the Daewoo Tico -- is the scurrying mouse underfoot." Update on that article: the Tico is still alive and well! My guess is that every 2nd taxi is a little yellow card box on wheels.

	Do you watch the Superbowl? - ¿usted mira el Superbowl?
	Yes - Si
	No - No
	I don't know - No sé