Peru’s Coming Runoff Elections

article from May 24, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

Peru’s contentious runoff elections between Keiko Fujimori, a former congresswoman and daughter of the thoroughly disgraced and imprisoned former-President Alberto Fujimori, gained a comic twist when the runoff was described as being a choice between terminal cancer and AIDS.

And now, who should suddenly pop up in Lima, Peru, just by chance, of course, than (drum roll, please...) “America’s Mayor,” Rudolph Giuliani, Superman Crime Fighter and Self Declared Media Hero of 9/11!

Keiko commented, “We did not ask him to come here, but since he is here I will take advantage of his presence here in Peru.” Perhaps only a slight case of being disingenuous, but it seems that Giuliani popped up at just the right moment, American flag lapel-pin attached, with a little aid from the US Department of State to prevent another leftist, Ollanta Humala, from winning the runoff election.

Keiko showed her ignorance and arrogance when she was steadfastly defending her father against accusations of death squads, human rights violations and staggering corruption during his regime. Who can forget the images of then-President Alberto Fujimori in a military-style steel helmet, leading the charge against the Maoist Rebels (from behind) that had taken over the Japanese Embassy in Lima? During that storming of the compound, Fujimori personally executed several of the rebels who had been captured alive. But it was the staggering corruption under his regime that led to his downfall and eventual flight to his ancestral homeland of Japan.

After his return, trial, conviction and imprisonment, Keiko repeatedly stated to the public and press that her father was innocent – a victim of political enemies – and that she would pardon her father, should she ever become president of Peru.

Now enter the crime fighter from Gotham city. His first and strongest suggestions are to build more jails along with a system to keep better crime statistics – just like when he was Mayor of New York, where to this day many victims of his indiscriminate crime sweep still languish in prisons in upstate New York, petty criminals such as junkies and prostitutes, while his Police Commissioner Bernard Bailey Kerik ran a racket out of his office, supposedly without the Mayor’s knowledge. Giuliani then nominated him to become Homeland Security Chief, a matter that started a minor furor in the press and led to his withdrawing his name from contention along with his confession that he had once employed undocumented gardeners and maids. Entirely left out of his résumé was the fact that he spent two years being employed by Morrison-Knudsen Saudi Arabia consortium, where he was employed as a security officer at King Khalid Military City. He returned to Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 1984, working as chief of investigations at the security division of King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh. He was, along with five of his fellow security specialist, unceremoniously fired and deported in 1984 for corruption, theft and embezzlement.

He is now serving the well-deserved four-year sentence in a medium security prison in Cumberland, Md. that he received after being convicted for corruption and lying to federal officials during his vetting to become Homeland Security Chief. And this is by no means the only time one of Giuliani’s protégées has been involved in and been convicted of criminal corruption and malfeasance while in office.

So you see, Keiko and Giuliani have something in common. Perhaps he can help her enrich herself as much as he did during his political career.

Whoever wins the elections on June 5, we’ll see if the next president of that Andean nation will, like his or her neighbors, set out to change the constitution, mess with the judiciary and try to have himself or herself installed for indefinite terms.

Good Luck to Peru!

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

Where Malbec Wine is Always Fine!

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.