Oct. 1, 2002
Perus President Keynotes Conference, Praises
Democratic Charter
Toledo Reflects on Charter at OAS
By Megan
Doscher
Alejandro Toledo, president of the Republic of Peru, presented the keynote
address before hundreds at a symposium, organized in part by GWs
Center for Latin American Issues (CLAI), marking the one-year anniversary
of the Inter-American Democratic Charter Sept. 16 at the Organization
of American States (OAS).
The Inter-American Democratic Charter aims to protect and promote democratic
institutions, and to strengthen the capacity of the OAS to promote representative
democracy. The charter strengthens the commitment of countries in the
southern hemisphere promoting democracy. It was approved unanimously
in September 2001 by 34 member states of the OAS.
Before presenting his address, Reflections on the First Anniversary
of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, Toledo praised the charter:
Now we have a document that will guide democracy in the region,
he said. We celebrate what we have done, but we still have a long
way to go.
Toledo has firsthand experience in the fight for democracy in Latin
America. He ran for president of Peru in 2000 against then-president
Alberto Fujimori, who had systematically taken over every area of Perus
government, from congress to the judicial system. Term limits should
have prevented Fujimori from running for president again, however, he
used his power to engineer a run for an unprecedented third term.
The circumstances of the campaign and election were so questionable
that Toledo withdrew from contention and urged supporters to write No
to Fraud across their ballots. Fujimori began his third term but
soon resigned amid a flurry of corruption charges, fleeing to Japan
where he holds dual citizenship. Toledo was elected president in 2001.
Because Fujimori had initially been democratically elected, members
of the OAS delayed becoming involved, arguing whether it was their place
to interfere.
In a similar situation today, under the Inter-American Democratic Charter,
the OAS would likely assist a struggling country much sooner. We
are convinced that Peru has an important lesson to share with the rest
of the continent, Toledo said. We were fooled by the new
way of dictatorship.
The charter constitutes an extraordinary confluence of political
will of our nations, he said, and has a level of legitimacy
that is seldom attained in the Americas.
But the individual governments have their work cut out for them, Toledo
said. We need to hear the voices of the people in the street.
We need to solve the dilemma between Wall Street and Main Street.
Democracy faces major hurdles, he warned. Poverty conspires against
democracy, Toledo said. If the government cant meet
the basic needs of the population, the population cannot be free. We
need to resolve the central issue that undermines democracy.
And existing international double standards need to end. Industrialized
countries need to hold hands with developing nations to construct
a trade freeway that goes both ways, he said. In other words,
Dont ask us to do what you dont do.
Before this charter was approved, the OAS did not have the appropriate
tools to ensure that democratic principles were protected, said Cesar
Gaviria, the secretary general of the OAS and former president of Colombia,
who served on a panel discussion after Toledos presentation. It
has been a long, hard road, he said. The charter is specifically
designed with prevention in mind, a clear weapon against
those who seek to undermine democracy.
Gaviria noted that popular support for democracy in Latin America is
diminishing, and he pointed to the economy as a major culprit. Much
of the hemisphere is presently mired in economic and political crisis,
he said, and when public institutions fail to fulfill basic needs for
a countrys people, its perceived as a failure of democracy.
We need strong governments and effective public institutions,
Gaviria said.
This article originally appeared in SBPM News.
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