Ballotage in Peru: Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori crossed paths in a difficult debate

Peruvian presidential candidates Pedro Castillo Yes Keiko Fujimori They had a tough debate this Saturday in the Plaza de Armas in the city of Chota, located more than 960 kilometers from Lima, after having challenged himself throughout this week to confront his government’s plans in the face of the June 6 election.

After overcoming a health problem that forced him to suspend his planned activities in Lima, Castillo went this Friday to Chota, his hometown where he summoned Fujimori for a first debate in which they discussed issues of health, education, security, economy and corruption for over an hour.

On your first turn, Castillo began by greeting the workers of his time and took the opportunity to attack his opponent. “I would also greet Ms. Fujimori on work day, but I don’t know where or when she was working.”

On the coronavirus pandemic, he explained that it goes beyond the health issue because of the neoliberal model. “By assuming the mandate, we will first guarantee a massive, voluntary, quality vaccine for all Peruvians.”

In addition, he assured that he would get the necessary vaccines to deal with the pandemic, and that in this way Friday, he met the Russian ambassador to have 20 million vaccines in the first half of August.

“In our government, the sick will not seek the doctor, it is the State that must come together. In our government, we cannot take advantage of the health of Peruvians “added.

For her part, the daughter of the former president also began her turn to talk about Health to attack her opponent: “I salute Pedro Castillo, who after making so many excuses, I finally had to come here so that we could have a discussion of ideas.”

On the coronavirus pandemic, he said: “We need to know who the infected are and put in place a follow-up policy with 70,000 molecular tests per day“. And she confirmed that she had also had conversations with the Russian ambassador with the aim of negotiating the purchase of Sputnik vaccines, “and with all laboratories ”.

“We will build hospitals all over the country”, Keiko said for his part, who began his intervention with a salute to members of the armed forces and the police. “We are going to build 3,000 more schools like my father did”added. In addition, he announced the launch of the program “Oxygen bonus”, from which the state will pay a bonus to families who have lost a loved one to COVID-19.

Education

“We aspire to each of them (children) receives a technological basket consisting of a tablet or a computer, even a cell phone so that they can receive direct information, ”said Keiko Fujimori, recalling his proposals on education.

And he added that his message was addressed to “those who teach, not those who are on union leave and have left children abandoned,” in a clear reference to his rival.

In response, Pedro Castillo waited his turn and pointed out that in order to be a candidate for the presidency of Peru, he had applied for a “license” to his post. “The other people present have permission from the judiciary,” he counterattacked.

“In our government, the education will be open. From the teaching space, we will do the real program so that our children are educated in values“Castillo said, in conjunction with a request for public education.

Economy

“Once the population is vaccinated, we will give a program the responsibility of unlocking projects in regional and local governments,” Castillo said at the start of the third block on economic recovery. In addition, he mentioned the reactivation of tourism and loans to micro and small entrepreneurs.

And in addition, he added “In our government, there will be no importation of what people produce.”

On Keiko’s turn, the fujimorista said: In his speech on the economy, he proposed a change “not backwards, nor a leap into the abyss”, but which allows the state to bring citizens together.

The square had been cordoned off a few hours earlier by around 200 police officers, as hundreds of residents gathered to watch the debate, broadcast on television channels and which caught the country’s attention.

Upon their arrival, the two candidates greeted each other with a fists banged and masks were not removed until their turn speaking into the microphone.

The teacher of the rural school and the daughter of the imprisoned former president Alberto Fujimori led, with 18.92% and 13.40% of the vote respectively, the examination of the first round of the elections, on April 11, which included a record 18 candidates.

Both They entered the square accompanied by supporters and under police surveillance. She wore the white shirt with a red stripe of the Peruvian football team and he his traditional top hat typical of Cajamarca.

Castillo outperforms Keiko in all the polls leading up to the election, with an advantage of between 20 and 10 percentage points.

The country, in recession due to the pandemic and politically unstable since 2016 – it had three presidents in five days last November – is now heading for a ballot between two candidates located at the antipodes and who together obtained only 32% votes in the first round.

Keiko, 45, defends the free market while Castillo, 51, advocates an active economic role for the stateeven with nationalizations.

The next president is due to take power on July 28, replacing interim president Francisco Sagasti.

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