Ollanta Humala, the ex-army officer who once attempted a military coup, will face former President and proven idiot Alan Garcia in Peru’s presidential run-off on 4 June, election.

Garcia and conservative candidate Lourdes Flores had been fighting for second place, and the chance to go to the second round for weeks now, which happens when no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote. There was less than a percentage point between them. Humala leads with 30.7%, followed by Garcia on 24.3% and Flores on 23.8%.

The Proven Idiot

Alan Garcia was president of Peru from 1985 to 1990, during which there was record breaking hyperinflation and mishandling of a bloody insurgency by Shining Path guerrillas. But he has promised not to repeat the same disasterous decisions. He plans to create jobs (a complete U-Turn then) and to divert more of the country’s mineral wealth to the poor by taxing mining firms’ profits.

The Nationalist with Amor por el Perú

So much love infact, he led a military rebellion against the government of Alberto Fujimori in 2000. He is a natural ally of Venezuela’s outspoken Hugo Chavez, and has also promised to redistribute the country’s mineral wealth, and opposes a free-trade agreement with the US.

Despite Humala’s first-round lead, analysts predict most of Lourdes Flores’ supporters would be likely to turn to Mr Garcia in a run-off. A poll published yesterday suggested Alan Garcia would win a run-off against Humala, with 54% against 46%.

Tags: elections, free trade, garcia, humala