Thousands march against Garcia, corruption in Peru

[Judi Lynn]

Thousands march against Garcia, corruption in Peru
Tue 7 Oct 2008, 20:09 GMT

By Terry Wade and Dana Ford

LIMA (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters denounced Peruvian President Alan Garcia Tuesday, a day after his energy minister quit in a widening scandal over steering oil concessions to favored bidders.

Members of Peru's largest labor confederation, the CGTP, demanded Garcia shake up his cabinet and change his free-market economic model, which critics say has caused growth to surge but failed to lift people out of poverty quickly.

"Something stinks," said Mario Huaman, leader of the CGTP. Marchers held signs calling Garcia's party "Corrupt as ever."

The protests, held in large cities across the country, were planned weeks before the scandal broke Sunday night. But they reflected frustration about corruption in Garcia's administration and fears the international financial crisis will spread to Peru.

Voters cite corruption as one of their top complaints about Garcia, whose approval rating has fallen to 19 percent, according to polling firm Ipsos Apoyo.

More:
http://africa.reuters.com/energyandoil/news/usnN07472881.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. Gee, same approval rating as Bush!

And, really, Garcia needs to get with it. (He won't, though. If ever there was a politician likely to abscond with the people's money to some faraway tax haven, it's Alan Garcia!) The rest of the continent (except Colombia) is alive with exciting and wondrous political change for the better, and one of the greatest wonders of all is the strong moves toward economic/political integration with social justice goals, and the formation of new institutions like the Bank of the South (social justice oriented development; regional control of development finances), and UNASUR, the South American "Common Market." Peru is being left out! Even Paraguay has joined this vast leftist, democratic movement. Paraguay! And Honduras is also moving to the left. Honduras! They just joined ALBA. El Salvador will be next--will likely elect a leftist government early next year.

Peru has two of the most progressive governments in South America right on its border--Ecuador and Bolivia. And it has two great friends of social change, with lots of economic clout--Brazil and Chile, on its other borders. Chile--although it's played the "free trade" game--has nevertheless just settled a 130 year old (and very divisive) dispute with Bolivia--access to the sea for Bolivia--a great help to Bolivia's president, Evo Morales. Brazil and Venezuela put up the money to build a highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, through Bolivia--which will make Bolivia a major trade thoroughfare between Africa/Europe and Asia, and up and down both coasts. Chile's president is also helping Bolivia to quiet down its Bush-supported fascist insurrection, and got 100% unanimity behind the Morales government at UNASUR's emergency meeting. (The only missing party--Peru; Garcia did not attend.) With a kindred leftist spirit heading Peru's government, Brazil, Venezuela and others will gladly help Peru, as they have other poor Latin countries.

Peru made a bad choice in Alan Garcia--if it was choice. (Bushwhacks don't tend to get elected without fraud, intimidation and lies.) He is out of step and a crook. I don't know that he has a plan--other than to enrich himself and his cronies--but what U.S.-dominated "free trade" does is create a two-tiered society, with a well-off urban elite, into consumer goods and imports, and, if Venezuela's urban oil elite is a model, highly selfish, greedy and contemptuous of the poor, and neglectful of the best interests of the country and most of its people. It is an artificial society, looking to the U.S. for its culture, and ultimately ruinous for any country that gets bent that way. Argentina went bust--a total basket-case, until they elected a leftist government, at which point, Venezuela helped get Argentina out of World Bank/IMF debt, and the Bank of the South was born. Argentina is now well on its way to recovery, and a healthy trading partner for Brazil, Venezuela and other countries.

Cooperation. Integration. Giving the poor a hand up. Giving decimated economies a hand up. Thinking of regional needs and mutual aid. They're all into this, across the spectrum of leftist governments, except the two dinosaurs--fascist Colombia and the corrupt "free tradists" of Peru.

I feel bad for the Peruvian people. I hope they get rid of this guy soon. He's tied Peru to the sinking Titanic to the north, the U.S.-Bushwhackdom.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Peru cities hit by protests

Peru cities hit by protests
AdvertisementEmail Print Normal font Large font October 8, 2008 - 2:46PM

Protests are sweeping Peru as thousands march in at least five cities to protest against the government's economic policies.

Prosecutor Cecilia Ampuero says some 300 construction workers smashed car windows with sticks and rocks in the streets of Arequipa, about 750km south-east of Lima, while two protesters were detained for vandalism.

Hundreds of demonstrators clogged Cusco's main plaza, forcing PeruRail to suspend train service to Peru's top tourist destination, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu.

Marches also took place in the cities of Chiclayo, Chimbote and Ayacucho.

Trade union leader Olmedo Auris said the government of President Alan Garcia is ignoring "concrete reality" as workers go without salary and pension rises.

http://news.theage.com.au/world/peru-cities-hit-by-protests-20081008-4wgw.html