By Edivaldo Costa da Silva
(Opinion) The war between left and right is in full swing in LatAm. With China as a puppet master, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Cuba act as pioneers and ‘mentors’ for the leftist newbies like Colombia and Chile, and theoretically also for Peru and Brazil.
However, the scheme did not properly work out in the case of the latter two.
While Brazil’s Lula has already turned out to be a lame and vengeful duck after only three months, who sees himself confronted with Congress becoming increasingly right-wing, the socialist agenda in Peru has been completely derailed.
Communist Peruvian (ex-)president Pedro Castillo scored such a clumsy own goal when he tried (too soon) to stage a coup d’état and decapitate the right-wing dominated Congress and promptly ended up in prison.
His successor, Dina Boluarte, is much more right-wing friendly and in line with Congress’ ideas. She is, therefore, likely to stay in the saddle longer than some of her predecessors.
In Ecuador, on the other hand, ruled by the conservative Guillermo Lasso, the machinations of the Latin American left, united in the Forum of São Paulo, have created several flashpoints.
An impeachment case has been concocted in an attempt to replace the right-wing president with a left-wing one.
No wonder that Lima, where Peru’s conservative forces traditionally call the shots, was chosen as the venue for the II Regional Meeting of Foro Madrid, which brings together all the conservative currents of the Iberosphere this March 29 and 30.
The Forum, an initiative of Fundación Disenso and the Spanish right-wing party VOX, seeks to counteract the influence of the São Paulo Forum in Latin America.
The event is attended by 20 parliamentarians from 8 countries who have signed multiple pronouncements to defend Peruvian democracy and other countries in the region.
The fact that the meeting was held in Lima has enormous significance.
As mentioned above, despite the triumph of the communist Pedro Castillo in 2021, the Congress remained in the right-wing hands.
After he ‘departed’ from power after the failed coup d’état a few months ago, his vice president, Dina Boluarte, opened the door to a Cabinet composed of several right-wingers.
In addition, since January, the city of Lima has been in the hands of the conservative Rafael López Aliaga, who won a historic election last year and began a new political era in the Peruvian capital as its new mayor.
Among the guests is the parliamentarian and VOX spokeswoman in Madrid, Rocío Monasterio, who offered the opening session.
At the beginning of the event, she will be joined by the mayor of Lima, Rafael López Aliaga, who was one of the first signatories of the Charter of Madrid, the founding text of the group.
Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox and president of Fundación Disenso, opened today the II Regional Meeting of Foro Madrid with a message from Madrid.
Abascal denounced the interference in Peru by Colombia (far left), Bolivia (far left), Argentina (left), Mexico (left), Nicaragua (socialist dictatorship), and Cuba (socialist dictatorship).
“Peruvians are fighting against their interference. Peruvians have said NO to Petro, Arce, Fernandez, AMLO, the Ortega Murillo couple, and the head of the snake, the Castro communist regime”.
The Spanish congressman admired the Peruvian people “for having taught the whole world how to confront the cartels of the São Paulo Forum and the Puebla Group”.
Concerning these two organizations, Abascal pointed out that “they are criminal organizations that want to subdue the sovereignty of our nations, put an end to our freedoms and our democratic institutions”.
On the other hand, Santiago Abascal added that Peruvians are “the beacon of hope and freedom in the region,” and that is why they have the support and echo of Vox and the Dissent in Europe Foundation and the “alliance of patriots” that make up the more than 10,000 signatories of the Charter of Madrid.
Abascal concluded his speech by appealing to the more than 800 people attending the event.
“Foro Madrid will continue to defend free nations, solid institutions, and prosperity for our peoples.”
“History is made by those of us who do not surrender or look the other way, willing to stand up a thousand times if necessary to defend everything we love”.
Among the Peruvian participants are the jurist, historian, and professor Fernán Altuve, congress members Alejandro Muñante (Renovación Popular), third vice-president of Congress, Patricia Chirinos (Avanza País), Patricia Juárez (Fuerza Popular), Wilson Soto (Acción Popular) and Alejandro Soto (Alianza por el Progreso).
Peru will also be represented by former Vice President Francisco Tudela, former Minister of Labor and Employment Promotion Juan Sheput, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil Ernesto Araújo, who will analyze the roles of CELAC and UNASUR.
Ántero Flores Araoz, former president of the Council of Ministers, former president of Congress, and former ambassador to the OAS, and Ernesto Blume Fortini, former president of the Constitutional Court of Peru, will participate in a panel on inter-American jurisdiction, together with prominent jurists.
Among the international panelists, who will speak on the role of the European Union in the region, are MEPs Hermann Tertsch, from Spain, and Rob Roos, from Holland.
Also on the panel are Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, coordinator of the Cuban Resistance Assembly; Carolina Ribera Añez, daughter of former constitutional president of Bolivia Jeanine Añez, currently a political prisoner of the socialist dictatorship in her country; and Miguel Ángel Martín, chief magistrate of the Constitutional Chamber of the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice in exile.
In the days before the event, the delegation of parliamentary members of Foro Madrid, accompanied by Jorge Martín Frías, director of Fundación Disenso, and Eduardo Cader, director of Foro Madrid, held institutional meetings with various Peruvian right-wing figures.