MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Thermo-cephalous” former Chilean Defence minister

Former Peruvian president Alan Garcia said that former Chilean Defence Minister Edmundo Perez Yoma either wanted to “attract attention or has gone bananas” regarding alarmist comments on the growing tension between both countries.

Mr. García said Mr. Perez Yoma was "particularly irresponsible" by arguing that "the worse is yet to come", and that President Alejandro Toledo is trying to distract attention "at any cost" from other pressing issues in the domestic front.

"Mr. Perez Yoma made the remarks either to attract attention or has gone bananas", insisted Mr. García who is a serious candidate for next year's presidential race.

Mr. García went further on and underlined that he fully supported the Peruvian government for having demanded a public apology from Chile for having sold arms to Ecuador in the midst of the Peruvian-Ecuadorian armed conflict in 1995.

"In international affairs I always support what my country does ?and given such a serious incident there's only but one answer, a very strong protest".

However Mr. García added he was confident that eventually the Chilean government will apologize and the current tension will subside. Mr. García insisted the issue must be addressed by the Peruvian Foreign Affairs ministry which must act professionally to solve the bilateral situation.

Mr. Perez Yoma's statements were strongly criticized in Peru, especially because he called President Toledo "irresponsible" which caused a massive reaction from Peruvian politicians and analysts who described the former Chilean minister as a "thermo-cephalous" or "hot head".

The Chilean arms sale to Ecuador incident in 1995 cropped up again to public exposure last March with comments from former Ecuadorian Army commander Victor Bayas, making Peru demand an explanation from the Chilean government.

The Chilean government has reiterated that the explanations about the controversial sale were delivered and accepted by Peru in 1995, although the current Toledo administration argues that it was done privately to then president Alberto Fijumori.

Peru has repeatedly questioned Chile's attitude because it's one of the four guarantors of the Peace, Friendship and Limits Protocol signed between Peru and Ecuador in Rio do Janeiro in 1942.

"I want to clearly establish that Chile's explanations were delivered, so we're not going to add a word to what has been said. Our only obsession is to continue advancing with perseverance, patience and firmness in strengthening bilateral relations with Peru, and we're not moving from there", replied from Santiago Chile's Foreign Affairs minister Ignacio Walker.

Apparently on February 2/1995 Chile reported the situation to the Peruvian ambassador in Santiago, and the following day the Fujimori administration decided to leave things as they were adding there would be no further declaration from Peru.