MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Garcia promises to make Peru “Pacific heavyweight”

Former Peruvian president Alan Garcia promised Wednesday that if he wins next month's presidential runoff he will lead “a responsible change” aimed at making Peru “the foremost country of the South American Pacific”.

After the official confirmation that he will face ultra nationalist Ollanta Humala in the June 4 ballot, Garcia at a crowded press conference thanked the three million Peruvians who supported him in last month's first round and promised to overtake Chile, making Peru the "Pacific heavyweight", to counterbalance US and Asian influence in South America.

The standard-bearer of the long established APRA party proposed in his campaign for the runoff "a responsible and sensible change, that doesn't sacrifice the country and brings the political class closer to the people".

In this his "second encounter with history, we would like to overcome any errors and deficiencies of the past and take advantage of the wonderful existent circumstances to become the foremost country of the South American Pacific without getting lectures from anyone, no matter how rich or developed they may be", he underlined.

Garcia's 1985-1990 administration was judged a complete failure by most observers having left Peru struggling with hyperinflation and a virulent Maoist insurgency. He had to spend years in self-exile to avoid being judged on corruption charges.

Regarding the South America's integration crisis, Garcia said that "the South American union must become the national framework for all the continent's political actors because our economic potential is much greater than that of China".

If South America "articulates the different countries economies and political decisions" it can equal China presence on the international stage.

Mr. Garcia said he favoured conducting an electoral campaign "free of hatred, without racial confrontations or external protections", in what was interpreted as a direct reference to the support Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has extended to his rival and former Army colonel Humala.

Finally, the former president highlighted the Peruvian people's sovereignty "to decide without tutors or godfathers in the runoff".

Whoever is elected will take office next July 28 for a six year mandate