{"id":726,"date":"2006-03-25T07:34:39","date_gmt":"2006-03-25T15:34:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/2006\/03\/25\/humala-%e2%80%9ci-want-to-command-the-people%e2%80%9d\/"},"modified":"2006-03-25T07:34:39","modified_gmt":"2006-03-25T15:34:39","slug":"humala-%e2%80%9ci-want-to-command-the-people%e2%80%9d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/2006\/03\/25\/humala-%e2%80%9ci-want-to-command-the-people%e2%80%9d\/","title":{"rendered":"Humala: \u201cI want to command the people\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maxwell A. Cameron
\nMarch 25, 2006<\/strong>
\nLast night Ollanta Humala attended an event organized by Edmundo Murrugarra, the coordinator of the Education Commission of the Government Plan of the Uni\u00f3n Por el Per\u00fa. The event was held under a big \u201cConvention Tent\u201d behind the Hotel Crill\u00f3n in downtown Lima. Later, Humala led a rally in Comas, on Kilometer 12 of the Tupac Amaru highway that cuts through the northern cone of Lima.
\n\"IMG_1589.jpg\"
\nPhoto: M.A. Cameron
\nThe evening began with over one thousand people under the tent behind the Crill\u00f3n listening to campaign music and chanting slogans. One of the songs written for Humala\u2019s campaign talked of the \u201csad history of Peru,\u201d and \u201chow our riches will be ours\u201d when Humala is elected president. The crowd was primed to respond to the words \u201cIn education?\u201d with \u201cOllanta Revolution!\u201d Humala was late arriving, and the event which was supposed to begin at 6 started after 7 pm.
\nDuring the wait someone at the microphone mentioned the presence of the international press, which received a polite applause, something the local press might not have received, as there is great animosity toward the local media in the Humala camp. The editor of \u201cOllanta Per\u00fa\u201d complained bitterly about the local media, saying there would have to be a Venezuela-type crackdown if Humala is elected. The local press was also difficult to manage. They mobbed the podium, delaying the event because they refused for some time to step down so the assembled crowd could also see the speakers.
\nWhen Humala finally arrived he was swarmed by enthusiastic supporters and carried forward to the podium where he sat flanked by his team, including VP candidate Gonzalo Garc\u00eda. Garc\u00eda was the first to speak, and he said that a victory for Humala would initiate a \u201cgreat transformation\u201d with a \u201crigorous and concrete\u201d platform for change. \u201cSe siente, se siente, Ollanta Presidente\u201d cheered the crowd (\u201cyou can feel it, you can feel it, Ollanta is president\u201d). He then introduced Edmundo Murrugarra, as someone who is honest and combative, as a teacher from Cajamarca, and the person who helped develop the educational program.
\n\"IMG_1613.jpg\"
\nPhoto: M.A. Cameron
\nMurrugarra gave a florid speech, very combative and dramatic, with language laced with utopian idealism and calls for sacrifice. Formerly a Senator for the United Left in the 1980s, Murrugarra remains a firebrand. He referred to the dreams of S\u00edmon Rodr\u00edguez, who accompanied S\u00edmon Bol\u00edvar, “the Liberator,” in his travels, and said these dreams were being realized by the call for change of the teachers in the movement behind Humala. His discourse was not about the 19th century, however, for he argued that investing in education was necessary to compete in the world today. He ended with a rhetorical flourish, saying to Humala \u201cyou have commanded troops, now you must command teachers.\u201d
\nWith that, Humala took the microphone. Appealing to the teachers in the crowd, he said his mother was a teacher and his early memory of her going to work pregnant with him, sitting in the classroom doing his own homework while his mother was teaching in the early evening, is the epitome of dignity in that profession. Referring to himself in the third person, he called for \u201capplause for all of you, not comandante Humala.\u201d He said that as a father he is concerned for the education of his children, and so should the state. Quality education should not be only for the elite. As a soldier he has traveled to the border zones and has seen Peruvian kids who sing the hymn of Colombia or Brazil rather than Peru. 3 million people are illiterate, in the 21st century.
\n\"IMG_1604.jpg\"
\nPhoto: F. Bazo
\nHumala argued that voters are getting more sophisticated and cannot be tricked by handing out t-shirts at election time. He told a joke about a politician who goes to a remote area and promises a hospital, and school and a bridge. When told there is no need for a bridge because there is no river in the area, the politician promises to build a river. Rejecting such cynicism, and saying he would not offer \u201cpopulistoid measures\u201d (medidas populacheras) Humala said people want work with dignity, and dignity means making others respect you. This is the essence of the \u201cgreat transformation\u201d he proposes. How can you explain to the child of a heroic rondero in Cajamarca that he will not get a good education when the Yanacocha mine is one of the wealthiest gold mines in the world?
\nIt is worth noting that this highly charged image helps explain Humala\u2019s success. The rondero is a symbol of the rural patriot, or \u201chero,\u201d who has fought for his country. The gold mine symbolizes prosperity and the global economy, and the child the hope for Peru\u2019s future. Some observers have been puzzled by why Peruvians would \u201cjump into the void\u201d given how well the economy is doing. Humala is acknowledging that there is prosperity, and using it to proclaim the need for redistribution.
\n\"IMG_1596.jpg\"
\nPhoto: M.A. Cameron
\nThe objective of his government would be democratization of education, so that quality education reaches all. He showed the most emotion during his speech when he spoke of children forced to find a living on the streets and asked how the government can be insensitive to this. He then turned on \u201caged politicians, who have maserated over time,\u201d and lobbies in congress and inside the palace of government who demand \u201claws with proper names\u201d for the benefit of a few firms or individuals.
\nHumala said he and his team are challenging powerful interests not out of a suicidal mission, but because it is necessary for the rich to pay their taxes so the state can assume its responsibility, and he called for those who earn more to pay more. He also called for a campaign against corruption and attacked the high incomes of members of congress. He asked the crowd \u201chow much do you teachers earn?\u201d \u201c800 Soles” came back the reply (about $240 US). \u201c800 dollars?\u201d said Humala. \u201cNo, Soles!\u201d came back the reply. \u201cHow can we accept and trust elites who earn 10,000 dollars?\u201d He then complained that members of congress get 100,000 soles (almost $30,000 US) to move out of their offices at the end of their terms. How much does a teacher get when they move between jobs? Nothing.
\nSaying that many people have offered him campaign support in return for agreement to favor them with laws once in power, Humala claimed to reject all such deals. \u201cI want to arrive in power without owing anything to anyone.\u201d He then railed against the dog piling on his candidacy that is occurring, saying that there is a \u201cTCO\u201d (a \u201ctodos contra Ollanta,\u201d or \u201call against Ollanta\u201d) movement being born and that there is \u201cpolitical terrorism\u201d being waged against him.
\nSaid Humala: “They say I am anti-system. Yes, I am against the current system of corruption, unemployment, hopelessness. If that is the system, not only am I anti-system, I am a rebel.\u201d \u201cThe minority wants to defend their jewelry, their estates. Fear is the last barrier that the elite erect to protect themselves.\u201d These people, he said, want to make this election about democracy or dictatorship. \u201cWe have the dictatorship of a minority. In Peru, democracy is poverty.\u201d In contradistinction to this, Humala called for \u201ca democracy of the people.\u201d \u201cWe will overcome fear to arrive at the palace\u2026Peru is above these traditional politicians.\u201d
\n\"IMG_1624.jpg\"
\nPhoto: M.A. Cameron
\nLater, in Comas, Humala largely repeated the speech, though his delivery was adapted to a crowd of thousands who had, on average, attained a lower level of education. There were a couple of lines in his speech in Comas that stood out, at least to my ears. One was a very direct appeal for voters to cast their ballots for congressional candidates of the UPP. This appeal was made while holding aloft the communal \u201cpot\u201d (or olla) that symbolizes UPP. Clearly, Humala is concerned about the prospect that his presidential ticket does not have congressional coattails. \u201cI want an army of nationalists inside the congress\u201d he said. In similarly militaristic terminology, Humala closed the rally. \u201cI have commanded soldiers\u201d he said. \u201cNow I want to command the people.\u201d
\n\"IMG_1629.jpg\"
\nPhoto: M.A. Cameron<\/p>\n


\nHumala habl\u00f3 de la revoluci\u00f3n educativa, pero omiti\u00f3 el c\u00f3mo
\nEl Comercio<\/a>
\n25 de marzo del 2006, p. a6.<\/strong>
\nCit\u00f3 a los medios de comunicaci\u00f3n para dar a conocer su plan de gobierno sobre el delicado y sustantivo tema de la educaci\u00f3n, pero se perdi\u00f3 en los adjetivos y en las frases revanchistas, frente a casi dos mil maestros que no hab\u00edan perdido su euforia pese a haberlo esperado por casi dos horas.
\nEn la carpa del hotel Crill\u00f3n, en el Centro de Lima, el candidato de UPP a Palacio de Gobierno, Ollanta Humala Tasso, apel\u00f3 a las palabras de siempre: revoluci\u00f3n y transformaci\u00f3n, aplicadas ahora a la educaci\u00f3n y al magisterio, pero sin se\u00f1alar la ruta de esos cambios.
\nPor cierto, ning\u00fan maestro presente en el auditorio del Crill\u00f3n se quej\u00f3 por tama\u00f1a omisi\u00f3n. Tal vez tampoco sab\u00edan por d\u00f3nde empezar los proclamados cambios.
\nEl representante de UPP prefiri\u00f3 hablar de su madre, que fue maestra, sin perder la oportunidad de referirse a sus hijas, cuya educaci\u00f3n en el futuro le preocupa. Pero no hizo referencia a alguna propuesta de fondo.
\nLlevando a la masa a su conocido juego de divisiones y enfrentamientos, sostuvo que la educaci\u00f3n en el Per\u00fa solamente beneficiaba a las \u00e9lites con dinero, olvidando a las provincias alejadas de la capital.
\nY recurri\u00f3 al ejemplo de siempre: “\u00bfCu\u00e1nto gana un maestro? 800 soles. \u00bfCu\u00e1nto gana un congresista? 10 mil d\u00f3lares”.
\npalo a la democracia
\nCon ese ejemplo de los salarios puso fin al discurso educativo, escuchado por un p\u00fablico due\u00f1o de ideas y proclamas propias del Sutep de los a\u00f1os 70, para dar paso a temas de tipo pol\u00edtico, con palo incluido para la democracia: “Vivimos la dictadura de una minor\u00eda. Existe en el Per\u00fa la democracia de la pobreza”.
\nDe los pol\u00edticos dijo que eran incansables, pero hac\u00edan promesas imposibles y remotas. Remat\u00f3 la idea con una frase tan electorera como provocadora: “El pueblo ha cambiado, ya no se va a dejar maltratar ni pisar por los poderosos”.
\nLuego hizo un salto hacia la realidad de Cajamarca, para referirse a la empresa minera Yanacocha, a la que responsabiliz\u00f3 de no haber contribuido en aliviar la pobreza de ese departamento.
\nY volvi\u00f3 a exacerbar los \u00e1nimos de la platea, con las dotes de aquellos pol\u00edticos tradicionales que tanto combate: “\u00a1Todo pasa por el amor propio… Como nacionalistas vamos a rescatar el honor nacional!”.
\nA fin de cuentas, Ollanta Humala Tasso habl\u00f3 de los pol\u00edticos y sus sueldos, de la revoluci\u00f3n total y hasta de Yanacocha. Pero de la educaci\u00f3n, nada de fondo.
\nel jefe de la educaci\u00f3n
\nEl candidato de UPP hab\u00eda sido precedido en la palabra por su candidato a primer vicepresidente, Gonzalo Garc\u00eda N\u00fa\u00f1ez, quien present\u00f3 al coordinador del plan de gobierno en educaci\u00f3n: el ex parlamentario de izquierda Edmundo Murrugarra.
\nApenas tom\u00f3 la palabra, Murrugarra le dijo a Ollanta Humala lo siguiente, como una apolog\u00eda al mesianismo: “Los maestros se encuentran presentes para acompa\u00f1arlo en la transformaci\u00f3n de la educaci\u00f3n. Usted ha comandado soldados, ahora le toca comandar a los maestros del pa\u00eds”.
\nPor cierto, Murrugarra tambi\u00e9n se refiri\u00f3 repetidamente a la revoluci\u00f3n y a la transformaci\u00f3n de la educaci\u00f3n. Lamentablemente, nunca explic\u00f3 el significado de esas palabras.
\nLa cita en el Crill\u00f3n culmin\u00f3 a las nueve de la noche, pero no la jornada. El candidato de UPP baj\u00f3 del estrado a empujones para acudir a un mitin en Comas, rodeado de un equipo de seguridad que fue poco amable con la prensa.
\nOllanta Humala estuvo anoche en Comas, donde centr\u00f3 su inter\u00e9s en atraer el voto femenino y el de los indecisos.
\nDurante los 40 minutos de su discurso en la avenida T\u00fapac Amaru, Humala reiter\u00f3 que revisar\u00e1 los contratos con las transnacionales.
\nPidi\u00f3 tambi\u00e9n apoyo a su lista para el Congreso, pues dijo necesitar de un ej\u00e9rcito de nacionalistas en el Parlamento para lograr los cambios.
\nOllanta dice que rivales han montado campa\u00f1a del miedo
\nPor Emilio Camacho.
\nLa Republica<\/a>
\n25 de marzo del 2005<\/strong>
\nA quince d\u00edas de las elecciones generales del 9 de abril, Ollanta Humala mostr\u00f3 el rumbo que tomar\u00e1 su campa\u00f1a en este \u00faltimo tramo de la carrera electoral.
\nEl candidato, que no oculta sus discrepancias con la clase pol\u00edtica, se mostr\u00f3 especialmente duro con sus rivales y hasta denunci\u00f3 un entendimiento entre diferentes fuerzas para frenar su candidatura.
\n\u201cDebo anunciar el surgimiento de una nueva fuerza pol\u00edtica, la TCO, o Todos Contra Ollanta\u201d, dijo en el mitin que presidi\u00f3 anoche en el kil\u00f3metro 11 de la avenida T\u00fapac Amaru, Comas.
\nEl l\u00edder del Partido Nacionalista asegur\u00f3 que sus rivales recurren al miedo para impedir que triunfe en los comicios.
\n\u201cEsa es la \u00faltima barrera que ponen los ricos, y a esta campa\u00f1a se suman los pol\u00edticos\u201d, afirm\u00f3.
\nHumala neg\u00f3 que un gobierno suyo implique un retorno a la dictadura. Por el contrario, asegur\u00f3 que la verdadera dictadura que impera en el pa\u00eds es la de una peque\u00f1a minor\u00eda rica.
\n\u201cEs a esta dictadura que representan los pol\u00edticos tradicionales. Son estos pol\u00edticos a\u00f1ejos, que ahora est\u00e1n canosos y panzones, quienes quieren mantener la pobreza y el desempleo\u201d, indic\u00f3.
\nApoyo para el Congreso
\nY aunque el candidato de UPP se mostr\u00f3 confiado durante todo su discurso (de hecho, lleg\u00f3 a decir que en su agrupaci\u00f3n han \u201cempezado la cuenta regresiva\u201d para cantar victoria el 9 de abril), tambi\u00e9n parece consciente de que sus candidatos al Congreso no tienen mucha suerte en las encuestas.
\nTal vez por ello formul\u00f3 una invocaci\u00f3n: \u201cLes pido la confianza a ustedes. Necesito un ej\u00e9rcito al interior del Congreso para realizar las reformas necesarias\u201d, exclam\u00f3.
\nEl pedido fue recibido por los pobladores que lo escuchaban, y mucho m\u00e1s por las dos docenas de candidatos al Congreso que lo rodeaban en el escenario.
\nLa presentaci\u00f3n de Humala concluy\u00f3 a las 10 de la noche. Lo acompa\u00f1aban su esposa Nadine Heredia, sus dos candidatos a la vicepresidencia, Gonzalo Garc\u00eda N\u00fa\u00f1ez y Carlos Torres Caro.
\nTres horas antes, el candidato de UPP se hab\u00eda reunido con maestros de colegios y universidades en la Carpa de Convenciones del Hotel Crill\u00f3n. No obstante, la asistencia fue masiva.
\nCambios en educaci\u00f3n
\nEdmundo Murrugarra, miembro del equipo de plan de gobierno de UPP, fue el anfitri\u00f3n del candidato en esta cita. Antes de darle la palabra, Murrugarra le dio un encargo especial:
\n\u201cOllanta, has comandado soldados, ahora te toca comandar maestros y padres\u201d, dijo. Luego de este pedido, Humala por fin pudo dirigirse a los maestros. El candidato expres\u00f3 su preocupaci\u00f3n por las clases que se dictan en las zonas de frontera.
\nAdem\u00e1s, manifest\u00f3 que la transformaci\u00f3n educativa pasa por mejorar sustantivamente los \u00edndices de nutrici\u00f3n infantil. \u201cNecesitamos que los maestros recuperen su dignidad. Y no puedo ser neutral en este tema. Mi madre tambi\u00e9n fue maestra y conozco los padecimientos de ustedes\u201d, sostuvo ante el nutrido auditorio. Luego reiter\u00f3 el discurso que lleva por todo el pa\u00eds.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maxwell A. Cameron March 25, 2006 Last night Ollanta Humala attended an event organized by Edmundo Murrugarra, the coordinator of the Education Commission of the Government Plan of the Uni\u00f3n Por el Per\u00fa. The event was held under a big \u201cConvention Tent\u201d behind the Hotel Crill\u00f3n in downtown Lima. Later, Humala led a rally in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1305,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7961],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-analysis-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1305"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/726\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/peru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}