Peruvian Frontrunner in April 9th Election is a Populist

Submitted by Elizabeth Rathbun on April 2, 2006 - 6:20pm

NYtimes/April 2, 06/Juan Forero
Original story here
Ollanta Humala, 43, is the populist frontrunner who intends to lead Peru away from neoconservatism. Humala, who had a November approval of 11 percent, now has the popular support of 33% of Peruvians.

If elected on April 9, he will crack down on multinationals he says cheat citizens and arrest crooked politicians he says have plundered Peru. As the leader of the newly formed Nationalist Party, he will ally himself with President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, who wants to form a bulwark against the Bush administration.

Mr. Humala, whose first name means "warrior who sees all," is as populist as they come on a continent swept by leftist leaders mining popular discontent with free-market policies and suspicions of the United States. His antiglobalization stance and talk of transforming the economy provoke fear in the business world.
He accuses the multinational mining companies of having obtained sweetheart contracts, and he promises to squeeze them. He has criticized Peru's free trade agreement with the United States, suggesting that he would scrap it. And he says he would rewrite the Constitution, which he says favors foreign capital. But his message — Peruvians first — is compelling to many in this country of 27 million.

"We nationalists are going to found a new country," said Mr. Humala, a wiry man with close-cropped hair who campaigns in a red T-shirt that says "Love for Peru."

"Who is afraid of change?" he said. "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."

Humala’s brother, Antauro, a former army officer, led an attack by 150 army reservists on a police station last year to demand the resignation of President Alejandro Toledo. The two brothers also led a military uprising in 2000 during the last days of President Alberto Fujimori's quasi-dictatorship.

Should Humala succeed, the two remaining countries in So. America with conservative governments will be Colombia and Paraguay.