Alberto Pizango, the head of the Interethnic Association for the Development of Peru’s Jungle (Aidesep), has launched his campaign for the presidential elections in April 2011, daily La Republica reported.The indigenous leader made the announcement on Thursday backed by representatives from Aidesep. His party, an Alliance for an Alternative for Humanity, or Aphu, will make official his candidacy.
“This morning I assume an enormous commitment and I swear to our ancient spirits to take on this assignment with honour… I promise to make Peru a multicultural state, for which we are organizing our party,” Pizango said.
Pizango said his campaign will focus on “restructuring the social relationships of Peruvians, reciprocity, cooperation and full democracy; stopping the destruction of mother earth by western civilization based on consumerism and individualism; defending ecological and cultural diversity; and consolidating the territorial rights of indigenous peoples as inalienable and un-lapsable.”
Pizango, a Shawi Indian who is well-regarded among Amazonian communities, led protests in 2009 over plans to open large swaths of the Amazon jungle to oil drilling and other large development projects. He was charged with sedition, conspiracy and rebellion.
He had sought refuge in the Nicaraguam embassy in Lima and was later granted a letter of safe-conduct by Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to travel to Nicaragua where he was granted asylum. In May 2010, he returned to Peru.
Other candidates for Peru’s president include Lima’s former mayor, Luis Castañeda, former President Alejandro Toledo, Congresswoman Keiko Fujimori, the head of the Nationalist Party, Ollanta Humala, and former finance minister, Mercedes Araoz, who will run on the APRA ticket.
Also launching his presidential campaign next week is Pedro Pablo Kuscynzki, minister of energy and mines during the Belaunde administration (1980-1985), and finance minister and prime minister during the Toledo administration (2001-2006).
