Peru: Reactions Following Ollanta Humala's Electoral Victory

Humala addresses his constituents in the Dos De Mayo Plaza, Lima. Photo: Courtesy of Gana Perú Press.

Humala addresses his constituents in the Dos De Mayo Plaza, Lima. Photo: Courtesy of Gana Perú Press.

More than a week after nationalist Ollanta Humala's tight victory in the Peruvian presidential elections, with 100% of the votes already counted, official numbers say [es] 51.489% went to Humala and 48.511% went to Keiko Fujimori.  Reactions of all sorts continue to arise in the press [es], blogosphere and Peruvian social networks [es].

With his victory barely secured, Humala went on his South American tour beginning in Brazil [es], a tour that is seen in Peru as “a gesture of Latinamerican integration [es],” but is also interpreted by some as an indicator of Humala's desire to dissociate himself from the influence [es] of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

In Libremente [es], Yesenia Alvarez Temoche expresses a number of fears on behalf of Peruvians who do not agree with the election's results:

Así como la mitad de peruanos están preocupados, la otra mitad está demasiado confiada. Una vez más, a mi criterio, subestiman la propuesta política que ha ganado. Han olvidado de un día para otro que Ollanta Humala no queda santificado por los yerros de su contrincante. Esas mismas personas que hablan de democracia, reivindicación y concertación no se atreven a tan siquiera dudar o poner en tela de juicio que Humala se mostró siempre cercano a esa franquicia autoritaria latinoamericana, con bastantes visos de estrategia militar que viene aplastando y debilitando la sociedad civil en varios países hermanos.

While one half of all Peruvians is worried, the other is much too trusting. Yet again, in my opinion, they underestimate the political proposal that has won out. From one day to the next, they've forgotten that Ollanta Humala does not remain sanctified by his opponent's errors. These very people that speak of democracy, recognition and compromise do not so much as dare to doubt or question the fact that Humala always portrayed himself close to this Latinamerican, authoritarian franchise, bearing enough resemblance to a military strategy that crushes and weakens civil society in various neighboring countries.

Parallel to this, Ricardo Alvarado celebrates Humala's win in AveCrítica [es], but takes precautions against the danger that the frailty of the coalition which led Humala to win the elections can represent:

Después del 5 de junio, ¿hay razones para estar contento? Las hay, sin duda; el fujimorismo ha sido derrotado en las urnas, junto con sus analistas y encuestadoras alquiladas, sus periodistas y medios cómplices, su descaro y su matonería para imponernos la impunidad. ¿Hay razones para estar preocupado? También; porque la mafia ha sido vencida, pero va a intentar volver a toda costa, y porque es posible que el frente único encabezado por Ollanta Humala no dure más allá del 28 de julio.

After June 5, are there reasons to be happy? There are, without a doubt; Fujimorism has been demolished in the ballot boxes, along with its analysts and hired poll takers, its journalists and conspiratorial practices, its nerve and bullying to impose impunity upon us. Are there reasons to be nervous? Yes again; because the mafia has been defeated but it will try to return at all costs, and because it is possible that the only front led by Ollanta Humala will not last long after July 28.

Una Bitácora de Jomra [es], a blog of a Peruvian based in Spain, reflects on voters’ expectations regarding Ollanta Humala's future administration:

Salvo pateando el tablero, Humala no podrá cumplir con todo lo que prometió, ni podrá solucionar todos los problemas habidos y por haber, y tiene una tarea realmente difícil por delante, la cuestión no es tanto si va a realizar punto por punto su programa… sino en el rumbo que toman las cosas, en las modificaciones que propone (aunque no las consiga), en cómo las propone (el nivel de participación en las propuestas o si todo viene ya en paquete cerrado) y en cómo articule la resolución de conflictos, esto es, en si genera un marco institucional dentro del cual encauzar los conflictos sociales…

Short of thinking outside the box and bending the rules, Humala will not be able to keep all of his promises, nor solve all of the current and future problems, and he has a truly difficult task ahead of him, the question is not so much if he is going to bring his program to realization point by point… but rather the rhythm that things take, the modifications that he proposes (even if he does not achieve them), how he proposes them (the level of participation in the proposals or if everything already comes packaged and ready) and how he articulates conflict resolution, that it what it is, in whether he generates an institutional framework within which social conflicts can be channeled…

Jorge Rendón analyzes the elections’ results in Nuestra Bandera [es]:

La derecha peruana… asumió a Keiko Fujimori como su candidata. La apoyó con dinero y con su prensa y TV… Esta campaña impactó en mayor grado en los centros urbanos de la costa centro y norte. (…) En Lima y en el puerto del Callao, que concentran un tercio del electorado nacional, Ollanta Humala no ha ganado en ningún distrito. Su victoria se debe, en su mayor parte, al voto de los departamentos del sur, de la sierra y de la selva, cuyas mayorías han escapado al control de la propaganda de la derecha (…)

The Peruvian right-wing… took Keiko Fujimori as its candidate. They supported her with money, their press and TV… To a great degree, this campaign had a major impact in urban centers along the center and northern coasts. (…) In Lima and the port of Callao, where a third of the national electoral body is concentrated, Ollanta Humala did not win in a single district. He owes his victory mainly to the Southern votes, in the mountains and the rainforest, whose majorities have escaped from the control of right-wing propoganda (…)

The day following the election, the Lima Stock Market suffered a 12.51% drop [es], the worst in its history, forced to close transactions earlier than usual. Nevertheless, it quickly recuperated [es]. Shortly thereafter, a number of representatives from the corporate unions visited the elected president [es] to express their support. Twitter users commented on these events:

Carlos Rivera Paz (@IDL_Rivera):

Los de CONFIEP [principal gremio empresarial peruano] hasta el sábado hacían campaña contra Humala …y ahora se van en mancha a saludarlo.

Those from CONFIEP [principal Peruvian corporate union] campaigned against Humala up until Saturday …and now they're going out of their way to greet him.
Mike Mantilla (@umbral2005) alludes to the racism of some who criticize Humala voters:
@Ireth_Isildr @pattyeche Mas que preocuparme la Bolsa de Valores de Lima, preocupa el descalabro de esta Bolsa de Valores Morales.
@Ireth_Isildr @pattyeche Moreso than my concern for the Lima Stock Market is my concern about the defeat of the Moral Stock Market.
Paulo Ramírez (@ramirez_polo) believes that:
En Perú la bolsa recibe a Humala tal como en Brazil recibió a Lula. Después lo despidieron con aplausos y habiendo ganado plata como locos.
In Peru, the stock market accepts Humala as Brasil accepted Lula.  After they bid him farewell with applause and having earned more money like crazy people.

Others ask themselves how Humala will reconcile [es] his interest for integration with Brazil with the interests of Peruvians [es] that reside along the frontier zones with said country. Concretely, the first question is the viability of Brazilian-Peruvian hydroelectric projects [es] in the Peruvian Amazon (like Inambari and Pakitzapango), taking into account that a large percentage of settlers in the area under the influence of these projects are opposed to them [es].

Cesar Combina (@cesarcombina) tweets:

Gente de puno: si votaste por ollanta, olvidate que te van a parar INAMBARI. Han visto a donde fue primero Humala? #mentirashumalistas

People of the Puno region: If you voted for Ollanta, forget that they're going to stop INAMBARI. Have you seen where Humala went first? #mentirashumalistas

Federico Harman (@jfharman) also shares his opinion on this topic:

@roxcanedo @UnAymara @Sr_Quest Inambari es parte de la deuda de Humala con Lula… ahora veremos la muñeca del gobierno de Gana Peru

@roxcanedo @UnAymara @Sr_Quest Inambari is part of Humala's debt with Lula… now we see the capabilities of the Gana Peru government.

On the networks, specifically post-electoral comments are the most diverse.

Isabel Vida celebrates:

Gracias a Dios acabamos con la corrupcion descarada y las ambiciones anti-nacionales de los Fujimoristas, esperemos ahora que el senor Humala haga del Peru un pais democratico…

Thank God we're ending the Fujimorist shameless corruption and anti-national ambitions, we hope now that Mr. Humala makes Peru a democratic nation…

Héctor Raúl Chávez Juárez laments:

Despuès que la bolsa cayò, ya hablaban de meter a Fuji a una carcel para reos comunes, ahora dizque nunca Humala dijo que el balon de gas costaria 12 soles, empezamos mal, malisisisimo.

After the stock market fell, they spoke about sending Fuji[mori] to a prison for common convicted criminals, now apparently Humala never said that a tank of gas would cost 12 soles, we're starting off poorly, very very poorly.

José Vargas (@Josevargas_89) does not hide his distaste:

yo queria que ganara #fujimori esta victoria de #humala es un triunfo #chavista,

I wanted #fujimori to win this # humala victory is a #chavista triumph

Maga (@la_magacha) observes:

Qué pena leer comentarios de mis propios amigos diciendo que los que votaron por Humala son unos “hijos de puta, serranos, resentidos”, etc.

It's such a shame reading my own friends’ comments saying that those who voted for Humala are “sons of b****s, serranos, resentful,” etc.

Oscar Torres expresses total skepticism in the political class:

Da igual si ha ganado Ollanta Humala. Daba igual su hubiera ganado Keiko, total al final todos los políticos son la misma m….. solo que envuelta en diferente papel…

It doesn't matter if Ollanta Humala won. It would not have matter if Keiko won either, in the end all politicians are the same sh**….. just wrapped in different paper…

Other users were happy that the electoral process finally came to an end and expressed their desire for the polarization in recent weeks to fade away, as Fernando Rodríguez [es] comments:

Pienso que con el triunfo de Ollanta Humala se ha llegado a un punto donde tenemos la oportunidad, los que lo apoyan y los que se oponen, a concordar, a darle una oportunidad al Peru y trabajar y dejar trabajar por el bien del pais. Nuestras familias en Peru son las que importan y la polarizacion jamas fue buena en ninguna instancia. Creemos armonia y esperemos que todo sea para bien..

I think that Ollanta Humala's triumph has come to a point where we have the opportunity, those who support him and those who oppose him, to agree, to give Peru an opportunity and to work and allow ourselves to work for the good of the nation. Our families in Peru are what matter and polarization was never good in any instance. Let us create harmony and hope that everything is done for the best…

Pilar Ica expresses that:

ELECCIONES PRESIDENCIALES EN PERU: el Sr Humala es el nuevo presidente con 55% de votos exprimidos. El pueblo lo ha elegido, espereeemos [sic] que sea lo mejor para nuestro lindo Peru.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN PERU: Mr. Humala is the new president with 55% of the exploited votes. The people have chosen him, and we hope [sic] that he is the best for our lovely Peru.

Juan José Leguía (@jjleguia) invokes:

Mensaje a los que votamos por Keiko: Reconozcamos a Ollanta como nuestro Presidente electo democraticamente y sigamos trabajando por el Peru

Message to those who voted for Keiko: Let us recognize Ollanta as our president, elected democratically, and continue working for Peru

Veronica Janet (@VeronicaJanet) is optimistic:

Tengo fe en que el nuevo gobierno de Ollanta Humala va a ser mejor que este. Ojalá los medios de comunicación lo dejen trabajar bien!

I have faith that Ollanta Humala's new government will be better than this one. I hope the media allow him to work well!

Atea y Sublevada (@AteaySublevada) expresses a concrete wish, remembering the deceased in the Bagua incidents of 2009:

Nada impedirá que el Congreso investigue el Caso Bagua cuando Ollanta Humala asuma presidencia del P : 0z.fr/DmjIZ

Nothing will impede Congress from investigating the Bagua Case when Ollanta Humala assumes presidency of P[eru]: 0z.fr/DmjIZ

Fernando Giorlando ( @CapitanPlavinil) speculates:

tengo la leve sospecha d q Humala, cuando le caiga la 1º comitiva del FMI, no va a resultar tan “zurdo” como el stablishment peruano temía

i have a level of suspicion that Humala, when the first FMI delegation falls upon him, will not be as “leftist” as the Peruvian establishment feared.

And others, such as Rosa Quispe Litardo (@Manyus), joke that:

mas tarde pasare por el aeropuerto a ver si cumplen su palabra todos lo que dijeron que se iban si gana Humala

later I walked through the airport to see if all of the people who said they would leave if Humala won kept their word

Ollanta Humala will officially assume the role of elected president on July 28, the day which Peru will commemorates the anniversary of their independence as well, amidst grand expectations, but also suspicions and distrust.

Taking into account the truly tight margin by which he won, the fact that he does not have the majority in Congress either, and remembering that more than 220 social conflicts [es] currently exist, Peruvians expect that the new president will know how to arrange a cabinet in consensus with other political forces and build bridges between those who voted for him and those who did not, so that the country can be viable.

Start the conversation

Authors, please log in »

Guidelines

  • All comments are reviewed by a moderator. Do not submit your comment more than once or it may be identified as spam.
  • Please treat others with respect. Comments containing hate speech, obscenity, and personal attacks will not be approved.