Unpopular president says Peruvians sad by nature

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

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.

Read 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

[WhiteTara]

1. * incarnate!

Can't imagine why the people in Brazil are happy with their great president, while the poor Bolivians are being robbed and murdered are "mopey" says the bastard. What a complete waste of skin! Thanks for another great article Judi Lynn!
:hi:

[provis99]

4. the Peruvian president is to blame for sad bolivians?

I don't get your post.

[Judi Lynn]

6. As it would be clear to any DU'er, the poster meant to say "Peruvians."

Wait for the important stuff to wage war against others. Obviously it was an error made in haste, just like those made by almost anyone, with a few exceptions, apparently.

[WhiteTara]

17. multi tasking is a problem

I meant Peruvian, of course.

[Judi Lynn]

18. Isn't it, though? How many people really have the opportunity to only do posting?

It's just about natural that many, MANY of us are trying to incorporate posting with our ongoing lives which don't stop for anyone!

It was so easy to recognize what you meant on the spot. How odd that anyone would attempt to bother others about something that trivial, and that natural for busy people.

[Judi Lynn]

8. His first term as Peru's President was a shrieking disaster. He was elected this time

by certain forces determined there would NOT be a leftist President, no matter what, even in light of this man's wretched history from an earlier pestilence as their President. From Wiki:

~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

"Waste of skin" really applies to this wreck, White Tara!

(my emphasis)

[David__77]

2. I was pleased to protest Fujimori, and I would gladly protest Garcia.

He is worse than Fujimori, who is at least honest about being a fascist. Garcia is a chameleon, who adopts whatever rhetoric he thinks will keep him in power. And, sadly, there is no left in Peru, other than the tiny Patria Roja and ex-Sendero MOVADEF, which are highly questionable, to put it lightly.

[Safetykitten]

3. A Peruvian Carter...who knew?

[ProudDad]

5. More like a Peruvian Ob...

Must resist impulse to make a point...

[L.Torsalo]

13. More accurate

to say he is a Peruvian Bushbastard.

[burning rain]

7. Looks like Peru's gotten a "malaise" speech!

.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Examining Carter's 'Malaise Speech,' 30 Years Later

Examining Carter's 'Malaise Speech,' 30 Years Later
July 12, 2009

Independence Day, 1979: Lines at gas pumps stretch for blocks, and President Jimmy Carter is scheduled to address the nation. But when he cancels last minute and disappears from the public eye, rumors spread of a health problem or, even worse, that he's left the country. After 10 days, he reemerges with a speech — to address the energy crisis, unemployment, inflation and something else a bit more nebulous:

The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation.

The speech was later dubbed the "malaise speech," even though Carter never used that word.

~snip~
Mattson says the fact that Americans responded positively to a speech that berated their way of life suggests that they don't mind having their values called into question. In that way, he says, the malaise speech had the potential to effect a significant cultural change.

More:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106508243

[Bo]

10. It depends what region your from or in ...

The North of Peru is very jovial, radically different from the south. Lima is mostly overcast all year long and the people can be very gloomy. The jungle area is a whole different world.

[nyy1998]

11. Sounds like a winning campaign message to me.

[Odin2005]

12. What a dimwit.

[TheWraith]

14. Well, that's sure to improve his popularity.

Moron.

[Alexander]

15. Where does the nickname "Two Breakfasts" come from?

My best guess is he once said he eats two breakfasts a day. :shrug:

[Judi Lynn]

16. It's his nickname in Peru. Don't know how it started, it's funny, however.

On edit, I just found an interesting page in a search. Apparently they don't bother adding "President" or "Garcia." They just refer to him as "Two Breakfasts."

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-2132404595457595%3Aieuw5hxtx75&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Twobreakfasts&sa=Search

Interesting!