Unpopular president says Peruvians sad by nature

[Judi Lynn]

Unpopular president says Peruvians sad by nature
1:34 p.m. Saturday, November 27, 2010
The Associated Press

LIMA, Peru — Peruvians are a mopey lot. So says their president, Alan Garcia.

Garcia tells Radioprogramas that an inbred national melancholy must be to blame for his low approval ratings at a time when the economy is booming.

Garcia tells the radio station Saturday that "We are what we are: sad, distrustful ... We have a natural lack of trust." He says that in contrast, Brazilians "have another sort of nature, joyful and sunny."

A recent Ipsos-Apoyo poll indicated just 34 percent approve of Garcia's presidency while 62 percent disapprove. The margin of error was 3 percentage points.

More:
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/unpopular-president-says-peruvians-755356.html

http://www.hollow-hill.com.nyud.net:8090/sabina/images/alan-dancing.jpg

They should dance more, like their President Alan "Two Breakfasts" Garcia,
rather than just standing there in the road of his troops, who will shoot them if
they protest the usurpation of their lands to sell to oil and logging interests,
as they did in the Bagua massacre a couple of years ago.

http://www.elephantjournal.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Picture-117-300x168.png http://assets.survivalinternational.org.nyud.net:8090/pictures/310/police_attack_protesters_news_medium.jpg http://media.indiancountrytoday.com.nyud.net:8090/images/29-02-Garcia-denies.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com.nyud.net:8090/3171/3707382396_e58bf7018d.jpg

[bemildred]

1. You can't make this stuff up. nt

[Judi Lynn]

2. A look back at "Two Breakfast's" 1st term as President, in the '80's:

From Wikipedia:

~snip~
According to studies of the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics and the United Nations Development Programme,<2> around the start of his presidency, 41.6% of Peruvians lived in poverty. During his presidency, this percentage increased by 13% (to 55%) in 1991. García also made an attempt to nationalize the banking and insurance industries. He incurred the wrath of the International Monetary Fund and the financial community by unilaterally declaring a limit on debt repayment equal to 10% of the Gross National Product, thereby isolating Peru from the international financial markets.

The economic turbulence exacerbated social tensions in Peru and contributed in part to the rise of the violent rebel movement Shining Path, which launched the internal conflict in Peru and began attacking electric towers, causing a number of blackouts in Lima. The García administration unsuccessfully sought a military solution to the growing terrorism, allegedly committing human rights violations which are still under investigation. These include the Accomarca massacre, where 47 campesinos were gunned to death by the Peruvian armed forces in August 1985, the Cayara massacre (May 1988) in which some thirty were killed and dozens disappeared, and the summary execution of more than 200 inmates during prison riots in Lurigancho, San Juan Bautista (El Frontón) and Santa Bárbara in 1986. According to an official inquiry, an estimated 1,600 forced disappearances took place during García's presidency. His own personal involvement in these events is not clear. García was allegedly tied to the paramilitary Rodrigo Franco Command, which is accused of carrying out political murders in Peru during García's presidency. A US declassified report, written in late 1987, said that García's party, APRA, and top government officials were running a paramilitary group, responsible for the attempted bombing of the El Diario newspaper, then linked to Shining Path, sent people to train in North Korea and may have been involved in executions.<3> According to investigative journalist Lucy Komisar, the report made it clear that it believed that García was giving the orders.<3>

García's presidency left the country with hyperinflation, isolated from the international financial community, with negative reserves of US$900 million, continuous subversive activities by the Shining Path, great increase in poverty levels and an electric train multi-million investment in Lima that was never finished. His critics claim the many poor decisions he took while in office created an environment that led to the rise of an authoritarian leader like Alberto Fujimori.

In order to keep him away from future elections, García was accused of multiple charges of corruption during Fujimori´s government. Investigations were archived without verdict.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Garc%C3%ADa

[naaman fletcher]

3. debt

"García also made an attempt to nationalize the banking and insurance industries. He incurred the wrath of the International Monetary Fund and the financial community by unilaterally declaring a limit on debt repayment equal to 10% of the Gross National Product, thereby isolating Peru from the international financial markets."

Isn't that a good thing?

[Judi Lynn]

4. He massacred people. What could be more important than that? n/t

[Judi Lynn]

5. Not satisfied with his "80's massacres, he continues to massacre. Case closed. n/t

[naaman fletcher]

6. Yes he did.

He's scum. But isn't what he did in regards to the IMF a good thing?