Inter-American Watch
Friday, October 15th, 2021
(Casto Ocando Editor)
Peru
Peru names new ambassador to United States
The Executive Branch, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has appointed Oswaldo de Rivero Barreto as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Peru to the United States of America. De Rivero Barreto, who is 85 years old and has been retired for 15 years, has served as permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, and had previously held the post as Peru’s ambassador to the World Trade Organization. Previously in his career, he held posts in London and Moscow and Geneva. He studied law at the Universidad Católica in Lima and later earned a master’s degree in International Relations from Peru’s Academia Diplomática. He carried out Postgraduate studies at the Graduate Institute of International Studies, in Geneva. He has authored books on international development, which have been translated into several languages.
(Andina: https://andina.pe/Ingles/noticia-peru-names-new-ambassador-to-united-states-865617.aspx)
(Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswaldo_de_Rivero)
Campaign against proposed Constituent Assembly gets massive support, with more than 1.2 million signatures
The campaign to collect signatures for the NO to the Constituent Assembly continues at a steady pace thanks to the hard work of Peruvians who are convinced that this path is not the one that the country needs for its development, but that, on the contrary, it would allocate us a drastic setback, said attorney Lucas Ghersi, who is leading the effort. Ghersi said that even though the recently appointed Prime Minister said de CA “is not a priority”, Castillo’s government “hasn’t changed its position regarding the issue, and that’s why we need to be alert”.
Meanwhile, former PM Guido Bellido warned that “with or without the president’s support, we’re going to have a new Constitution”.
(Peru21 in Spanish: https://peru21.pe/politica/asamblea-constituyente-lucas-ghersi-masivo-apoyo-con-firmas-contra-la-constituyente-noticia/)
‘Caviar Cabinet’: Peru’s Marxist ruling party breaks with president
Peru’s ruling Marxist party said on Thursday that the government of President Pedro Castillo has swerved towards the right and that it would withhold support for what it called a “caviar cabinet” in the opposition-dominated Congress.
Castillo’s Minister of the Interior Luis Barranzuela acted as defense lawyer for arms traffickers and money launderers, investigation reveals
Peru’s Minister of the Interior, Luis Barranzuela Vite, was the leading defense lawyer for the Aybar Cancho brothers, sentenced for having delivered 10,000 AKM rifles sold by Jordan to the guerrilla Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 1999, El Comercio Investigative Unit reports.
After they were sentenced to 15 years in prison for acting as intermediaries for arms trafficker Sarkis Soghanalian, Barranzuela assumed the brothers’ legal defense in a second trial for money laundering from drug trafficking.
(El Comercio in Spanish, free subscription: https://elcomercio.pe/politica/gobierno/ministro-del-interior-luis-barranzuela-defendio-a-traficantes-de-armas-hermanos-aybar-cancho-mininter-noticia/?ref=signwall)
Marxist party Peru Libre withdraws support to president Castillo
Peru Libre’s leader Vladimir Cerrón said the party will not grant the vote of confidence to the new Castillo’s ministerial cabinet chaired by Mirtha Vasquez, inadvertently joining forces with Keiko Fujimori’s Fuerza Popular. Cerrón also announced the ruling party will have expulsions in an effort to recompose strategies. In response, president Castillo critized Cerron’s move and said: “Today they think that even with a tweet the country is going to change and that’s not how it is.”
(La Republica in Spanish: https://larepublica.pe/politica/2021/10/15/vladimir-cerron-impulsa-la-division-entre-pedro-castillo-y-peru-libre-cuestion-de-confianza/)
Peru’s Sol hits 10-week high as leftist ruling party breaks with president
Peru’s currency breached a key level and is heading toward its strongest since Presiden Castillo ame to office two months ago.
(Bloomberg, subscription: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-13/peru-s-sol-hits-10-week-high-as-leftist-president-leans-center)
Panama rejects proposed Castillo’s appointed ambassador Richard Rojas
The Republic of Panama rejected Richard Rojas as Peruvian ambassador by delaying its response to the Peruvian government. According to diplomatic protocol, if the answer does not arrive 30 days after the diplomatic proposal, it is considered a “no go”. This deadline was met on October 6, so the Peruvian Foreign Ministry asked to annul the appointment of Rojas, who served as Peru Libre’s press officer during the last presidential campaign.
(Caretas in Spanish: https://caretas.pe/politica/panama-rechaza-propuesta-peruana-para-nombrar-embajador-a-richard-rojas/)
Argentina
The rise of Javier Milei, the Libertarian whose fearly opposition to Castro-Chavism is popular among young voters
Javier Milei is the embodiment of anti-establishment rebellion. For years, the economist did the rounds on talk shows and slammed the country’s politics. Now he wants to be its leader. Young voters think that’s good.
Polls: The agony of Kirchnerism
If elections in Argentina were tomorrow, the defeat suffered by Peronist and Kirchnerist Frente de Todos (Everybody’s Front) could be even more dramatic than previous events, according to the latest poll from Consulting firm Federico Gonzalez and Associates. Peronistas face a grim scenario for the November 14th legislative elections.
(La Nacion in Spanish: https://www.lanacion.com.ar/opinion/la-agonia-del-kirchnerismo-nid15102021/)
Ecuador
Lasso accuses Rafael Correa of being behind and “institutional coup” attempt in Ecuador
In an interview granted to journalist Carlos Vera, Lasso has charged Correa, the former mayor of Guayaquil Jaime Nebot and the president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), Leonidas Iza, whom he has described as “a triumvirate of conspiracy” trying to wear down his Executive.
“This conspiracy begins with Correa, continues with Nebot, and is followed by Iza, who are the three interested in carrying out an institutional coup in Ecuador,” he said while speaking of “concerted attacks” since September 18.
(Market Research Telecast: https://marketresearchtelecast.com/lasso-accuses-the-ecuadorian-opposition-of-coup-international/179095/)
The Economist: Guillermo Lasso’s battle against populism in Ecuador
After a good start, problems have mounted for the banker-turned-president.
After his surprising victory in Ecuador’s election in April, Guillermo Lasso, a conservative self-made banker, confounded sceptics yet again by getting his presidency off to a flying start. He fulfilled a campaign promise to vaccinate half the population in his first 100 days (57% are now fully jabbed). His approval rating soared to over 70%. But the past fortnight has been difficult. A fight among gangs inside a prison ended with 119 inmates dead. The board of the National Assembly sent back without debate Mr Lasso’s key initiative, a bill to raise taxes and loosen restrictions on labour. And then the president was named as the controller of a number of offshore companies in a global trove of documents dubbed the Pandora Papers.
(The Econmist, subscription: https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/10/14/guillermo-lassos-battle-against-populism-in-ecuador)
The Ups and downs of Guillermo Lasso
Ecuador’s president wants to change his country’s trajectory. Will his success survive offshore transaction revelations and a hostile legislature?
(Americas Quarterly: https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/the-ups-and-downs-of-guillermo-lasso/)
Bolivia
Bolivian Government backtracks on controversial Bill Against the Legitimation of Illicit Profits
Bolivia’s Minister of the Presidency María Nela Prada Thursday announced the Government had decided to withdraw the Bill Against the Legitimation of Illicit Profits in a move to avoid further confrontation among fellow nationals, following nationwide demonstrations against the initiative earlier this week.
(Mercopress: https://en.mercopress.com/2021/10/15/bolivian-government-backtracks-on-controversial-bill)
Former president Jeanine Añez, currently in prison, among candidates for the 2021 edition of the Sajarov Award
(El Deber, in Spanish: https://eldeber.com.bo/edicion-impresa/jeanine-anez-es-finalista-para-el-premio-sajarov-2021_251164)
