Political agitators have stalked street corners in Lima for months. The atmosphere in the Plaza San Martin, the traditional focus of protest in the Peruvian capital, has been reminiscent of the virulent wall poster campaign in Beijing against the ‘capitalist roader’ Deng Xiao Ping in the mid-1970s. Day after day the square echoed to the chants of protesters as they put their uncompromising message on placards and banners: Ni un dia mas – Fuera Fujimori – Not one day more – Out with Fujimori.
Peru: The People Triumph
After the turbulence of the past few months, there is a fair chance that with the installation of a caretaker government under the interim President Valentin Paniagua, the situation in Peru may stay relatively quiet as the politicians prepare for the election in April. The challenge for aspirants to power is to appeal to those disenchanted with corruption and scandal in a deeply divided country. They must also keep an eye on the men in the military.
