MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile-Peruvian spat: hopefully on Friday it's back to normal

Tensions between Chile and Peru remained high Monday after last week's revelation that Peru's top army general said at a party that Chileans in Peru would be sent back in coffins or body bags.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet met Monday morning with her domestic advisers to discuss the matter after the Peruvian general appeared unrepentant over the weekend, the Chilean government reported on its Web site. Peruvian President Alan García had called Bachelet last week to say that the statements by General Edwin Donayre are not the official policy of Peru. Bachelet said at the time she was satisfied with García's explanation and it was "up to the government of Peru to take measures." Donayre made the remarks in 2006 or 2007 at a party at a friend's house. The video was downloaded to YouTube in February and surfaced a week ago to wider attention when an independent Peruvian member of Congress Gustavo Espilnoza sent copies to Chilean counterparts. "We are not going to let Chileans pass by," Donayre says in the amateur-quality video as he offers a toast. "Chilean who enters will not leave. Or will leave in a coffin. And if there aren't sufficient coffins, there will be plastic bags." Tensions rose over the weekend when Donayre, who is scheduled to retire Friday, December 5, was widely quoted in Peru and Chile as saying that he will not be forced to resign early due to external pressure. "I was named commander general under a presidential mandate and I can only be relieved under such an order. Not by necessity or under pressure from another government," Donayre said according to the Peruvian Andina news agency. Further heightening tensions, Donayre was quoted as saying that Peruvian citizens have a right to say whatever they want at private functions. "I want to express and specify that it was not a speech or a public act," Andina quotes the general as saying. In the video, Donayre is surrounded by other uniformed army officials as well as people in civilian dress. It is not clear from the video in what context the general was making his comments. Nor was it clear in what forum Donayre made his comments over the weekend. After Bachelet's meeting with top aides Monday, government spokesman Francisco Vidal declined to say whether Chile's ambassador to Peru would be recalled in light of Donayre's weekend statements. "General Donayre's declarations in the past 24 to 48 hours only convince us that we are right and that our government's posture is reasonable," Vidal said on the Chilean government Web site. Meanwhile in Peru Espinoza is under investigation for his "unpatriotic attitude". Espinoza is already serving a 120-day suspension for leaking a private conversation with another member of Congress, Andina said. Peruvian Defense Minister Ántero Flores-Aráoz told reporters Saturday that relations between the two nations will be repaired, calling the Donayre incident "a bump in the road." Flores-Aráoz also said that Donayre's remarks about Chileans used "improper terms" that are not shared by the Peruvian people, Andina said. Peru has not taken any measures against the general. His retirement Friday is required by law at the end of his two-year appointment as the army's top chief.