LIMA, Peru – Peru recalled its ambassador to Venezuela on Thursday and accused President Hugo Chavez of meddling in its affairs after Chavez met with Peruvian presidential candidate Ollanta Humala on a visit to Caracas.
Chavez’s comment at the public meeting with Humala on Tuesday that his election would represent “the second Peruvian independence” especially irked Peruvian authorities, according to media reports here.
“With regard to the statements made by … Chavez, which amount to interference in Peru’s internal affairs, the Peruvian government has recalled its ambassador in Venezuela,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Humala, a nationalist former army colonel who led a failed insurrection against the government of President Alberto Fujimori in 2000, called the government’s response “an overreaction” at a crowded news conference.
Venezuela’s foreign ministry issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying that Chavez’s comments regarding Humala “should not be interpreted as Venezuela interfering in Peru’s internal affairs. …
We profoundly respect the sovereignty of other nations.” Thursday’s developments underscored Humala’s ability to dominate Peruvian political discussion even though he was little known only three months ago. Politicians of all stripes found themselves commenting on his visit to Caracas.
Humala has surged in recent polls and is now believed to be tied for first with conservative former congresswoman Lourdes Flores with about 25 percent apiece. Elections are set for April 9, with a runoff in May or June if no candidate wins a majority.
The diplomatic brouhaha also underlined Chavez’s ability to thumb his nose at some of his neighbors even as he calls for greater unity in Latin America. He has already dueled verbally with Presidents Alejandro Toledo of Peru, Vicente Fox of Mexico, Alvaro Uribe of Colombia and former Bolivian President Carlos Mesa.
Humala turned up in Caracas on the same day that President-elect Evo Morales of Bolivia visited Chavez. It was with Morales sitting by his side that Chavez singled out Humala.
“It gives me great pleasure to greet Ollanta Humala and his wife,” said Chavez, who went on to praise Humala for opposing a regional free-trade agreement with the United States.
Chavez said “nationalism” was the “savior of sovereignty” against the influence of the United States in Latin America, a concern shared by Humala in an interview with The Miami Herald in October.
At the time, Humala praised Chavez but said repeatedly that he had never met Chavez and denied allegations that he was receiving financial aid from Chavez.
Peruvian pollster Manuel Torrado said Humala was now embracing Chavez because he feels stronger politically with his rise in the polls here, and because Morales won overwhelmingly while openly siding with Chavez.
Torrado noted that Peruvians chose Chavez as the most popular Latin American leader in a December poll.
— (c) 2006, The Miami Herald.
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