An ultra-conservative tourist businessman in trouble with the Treasury, with no clear limit to forgery and ranting, and who presents himself as a champion of truth harassed by hidden enemies in the corrupt heart of the state, rises like the scum in Peru’s polls .
Well-known in recent global political life, this portrait corresponds to the figure of Rafael López Aliaga, candidate for President of Peru in the elections of April 11, who, thanks to an impudent, aggressive, controversial far-right speech and at times violently it has been placed among the favorites to advance to the second round of the election.
López Aliaga, a member of Opus Dei and public defender of celibacy, who has been practicing since his adolescence, has doubled down on his intention to vote and threatens to overtake figures like Keiko Fujimori on the right, in addition to his social networks and has taken the media by storm. dominate the discourse and the political agenda.
At the moment, the polls give him about 8% of the voting intent, a lower but significant figure in a country where the favored candidate barely reaches 12% and significant due to the fact that he is the only one of all the contenders to have it. doubled its flow so far this campaign.
CENTER OF THE SCENE
This Friday, ‘Uncle Porky’, as he is called with his approval for his smiling, plump and pink appearance, once again occupied the center of the political scene with a civilian mobilization that he then convened before the National Election Jury (JNE). body would have decided to exclude him from the race.
The day before, López Aliaga, whose candidacy was being judged for committing an offense (he promised to donate his presidential salary, which was prohibited), denounced that anonymous sources had confirmed his final expulsion from the race, which he considered an attack. on democracy and yet another proof of the hidden forces of the state that want him out of the race.
After the march, the photos and the network mobilization, it was learned that JNE agreed with him and that his electoral career was progressing unhindered.
During its public display, “Uncle Porky” received support from organizations such as the Transparency Civil Association, whose president, Adriana Urrutia, defended his right to “electoral participation” in statements to Efe.
“We need to put aside formalities and put politics first. Especially for a presidential candidate, as failure to participate can be serious and cause citizens to lose faith in the process. Aliaga is a candidate whose presence is growing, and it It must be ensured that those related to it can voice it in their voice, “said the political analyst.
DISTRIBUTOR
López Aliaga is committed to the Popular Renovation Party, a re-establishment of National Solidarity, a group that held the mayor of Lima under Luis Castañeda, whose current candidate was a councilor.
In 2019, the party appeared in congressional elections, already with a very right-wing profile, and did not achieve the minimum number of votes needed to enter parliament.
It was after that failure that the candidate took the reins and began successfully applying what political analyst Mauricio Zabaleta considered the “ textbook ” recipes for the resurgence of the far right.
First, López Aliaga has a declared enemy in the world “caviar”, a Peruvian concept that loosely encompasses everything to do with the liberal, progressive and tolerant world.
In the candidate’s words: “Caviar is Peru’s worst accident. In my opinion it is a useless creature, it is a parasite infecting the state.”
It matters little that his supposed fortune came from a monopoly deal with the state (the train that leads to the ruins of Machu Picchu), that his company has incurred millionaire losses for years, and that he is indebted to over 30 million soles (approx. $ 8.3 million) with the Peruvian treasury.
“Let’s just say in that sense it’s the same as what we saw in Hungary, in the US, in Brazil … He’s following the straight line of polarization towards the elite of the right, despite being a very conservative and heterodox businessman himself. But he runs by attacking large corporations and even the “establishment” of the Peruvian right, “Zabaleta told Efe.
The “outsider” profile of the system reinforces it with statements such as that the “gender doctrine” (equality policy) will be “eradicated” if it comes to power, or that if it is removed from the race “will burn Troy”.
He also told Ana Estrada, the Peruvian woman with a spinal cord injury who managed to get the Peruvian state to accept her request to practice euthanasia, jump off the roof and stop “bothering” herself.
It also calls for the dismantling of all legal agreements with Odebrecht and his partners to lock up everyone, including large and influential Peruvian fortunes.
His party claims that contraceptive women encourage violence and “rape” and that Disney cartoons teach children “homosexuality.”
RESTRICTIONS AND OPTIONS
“Among the candidates on the right, the one who’s starting to emerge, he, because of this anti-elite discourse, is from the populist right. He’s gotten attention, but he could have a growth limit if he stays so radical,” Zabaleta analyzed .
In his opinion, the voters who appear to be following the candidate are middle / upper-class people, but he does not seem to have aroused the enthusiasm of the more popular classes, which seems to distinguish him from figures like Donald Trump or Jair Bolsonaro. .
“He doesn’t seem to be particularly charismatic. Obviously he’s not a ‘celebrity’. And I think this style of always being annoyed by something could also repel some voters,” he added.
In his view, apart from an ever-present extreme right, there is not much “market” in Peru for propositions such as the global conspiracy of the world “caviar” to destroy the family and the church and “make children homosexual.”
However, despite the striking message, the question is who will rise under the right to win those votes. There is a broad industry looking for a candidate in this group, so this man who says bizarre things is drawing attention. and becomes an option, ”he said.
López Aliaga may also seek ground “among people distressed by the pandemic and incarceration”.
But while anything is possible in Peru, Zabaleta predicted that if this candidate goes to the second round of elections, whoever competes with him “will be lucky.”
“If someone comes in from the center-right or center-left, (López) is going to lose. Only if someone passes the very left, does he have an option. In that, he looks more like Le Pen (Marie) than Trump,” he concluded.