Alejandro Toledo during his first presidency, in 2002, expanded the neoliberal model and crafted a free trade agreement that gave the U.S. unlimited mining rights in exchange for few concessions. He is likely to win the upcoming election and return to the presidency in 2011.
Diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks confirm that Toledo met with official United States approval for [his] support of US policies in Peru and the rest of Latin America.
Toledo also sought investment from non-US based corporations, resulting in a socially and environmentally devastating international “scramble for Peru” — which only accelerated under current President Alan Garcia.
A second Toledo presidency will mean that Peru remains open to capitalist exploitation. It will also ensure that Peru remains closely allied with the US and its chief proxy in the region, Colombia.
The WikiLeaks releases confirm that the US will not tolerate the rise of political movements that it deems “radical” or “anti-system”.
It is likely that the outcome of the 2011 election will represent a victory for US interests and a defeat for indigenous and campesino social movements that are resisting the plunder of Peru’s natural resources by rapacious corporations and the ruling oligarchy.