President Alan Garcia called on the international community Thursday to reduce arms purchases and focus on development issues, state news agency Andina reported
“We are calling on the governments of the world. Stop buying and producing arms, provide food for the humble, develop your land and create employment,” Garcia said during a presentation at the United Nations General Assembly.
Peru’s president also said that multilateral credit institutions could create clauses and conditions that would prevent assist in the decrease of weapons.
“Why do they loan money from all of the world’s citizens to countries that use a good part of these resources in the [arms race]?” he said. “
“We know it is difficult to ask for this, but we continue to do so because sooner or later world opinion is going to open to the correct path and accept these terms.”
Over the next five years, South American governments are expected to spend $35 billion on new arms and $200 billion on military expenses, Garcia said, adding that this is “absurd.”
