The statue of José de San Martín astride a horse in the plaza named after the South American liberation hero in downtown Lima has seen a lot of protests. But a march against the presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori on Tuesday was probably the biggest since the end of her father’s decade-long rule in 2000. At least 30,000 people joined the march, on the 24th anniversary of the infamous “self-coup”, or “auto-golpe”, when her father Alberto Fujimori dissolved congress, assumed extraordinary powers and sent tanks and soldiers onto the streets. Alberto Fujimori, who led Peru between 1990 and 2000, was jailed for 25 years in 2009 for directing death squads, embezzlement and bribing the media to smear his opponents. Five years earlier, he had been listed as No 7 in a list of top 10 corrupt leaders in Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report. Peruvians vote on Sunday in presidential elections and Keiko Fujimori is currently the frontrunner, with polls showing her with more than 40% of the vote. But Tuesday’s march suggested she may yet face defeat if the vote goes to a second round.
Marchers chanting “Fujimori Never Again” waved handwritten messages scrawled on placards. There were piñata-like puppets of Alberto Fujimori and hiseminence gris, the former spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos. A giant Peruvian flag stretching half a block was unfurled reading “Keiko No Va”, or “Keiko no way”.
“Fujimorism was the worst mafia to take control of Peru in the 20th century and now it wants to come back,” said Oscar Nicho, 23. “Fujimori was the worst leader this country ever had and we can’t allow his legacy to continue,” said Carlos Espina, an architect wearing a red headband which read “No A Keiko”. There were marches in cities across Peru and expatriate Peruvians staged smaller rallies in Paris, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and even London.
Full Article: Thousands protest against presidential bid by daughter of corrupt former Peru leader | World news | The Guardian.