Venezuela's Chavez helps Peru quake victims

[subsuelo]

PISCO, Peru, Aug 12 (Reuters) - When an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit two coastal cities and destroyed 37,000 homes in Peru, President Alan Garcia promised a speedy reconstruction effort that would burnish the country's new image of dynamism.

One year later, the cities of Chincha and Pisco still look devastated, Garcia's popularity has plummeted, and the only president who has won hearts and minds here is Venezuela's socialist leader, Hugo Chavez.

Chavez, who has used his country's oil wealth to spread his influence throughout Latin America, has given away 100 new three-bedroom houses with green lawns in Chincha, and named the community after his hero, Simon Bolivar, the 19th century independence leader.

"Thanks to God and to Hugo Chavez, I have a house," said Emma Euribe, 50. She and her four children moved into their plastic-walled home two months ago, marveling that it sits in front of a new park and came fully furnished.

"Look what Hugo Chavez, who isn't our president, has done for us. The corruption here needs to stop because we're human beings in need," she said.

Reuters - read more

[Judi Lynn]

1. This is a terrific article. Pity Alan Garcia can't spare the time and country's funds to help the

helpless, bring aid to the suffering.

Apparently he believes his job is all about trade agreements, and trips to see _Bush!

It must have really chapped Reuters' ass to have to write this story without getting in more kicks at Chavez! It indicates Garcia has had every opportunity in the world to do his job, and he has shown the people just how he feels about the poor and powerless Peruvians. They've got the picture now, by golly.

From the article:

She also hopes the next election will be won by Humala, who is popular among the poor and who foreign investors fear would roll back years of free-market reforms.

"Frankly, we don't have a lot of faith anymore but hopefully Humala could do more for us," she said.

Maybe this time, even the best campaign strategists and smear artists imported from the U.S. by their oligarchy to assist in the next campaign, won't be able to do any more damage to the progressive movement in Peru, and the people's will WILL be respected.