PERU: Polls Show Humala The Clear Frontrunner As Surge Continues; C.Bank Raises Bank Reserves For 3rd Month To Fight Inflation.

REUTERS/

   New polling shows leftist nationalist Ollanta Humala leading the 10 April presidential race...with former Prime Minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski close to second place in one poll.
   Humala recently gained nearly 10 points in polls...to 24.3%...and is now MORE than 5 points ahead of his nearest rivals...former president Alejandro Toledo with 18.8%...and lawmaker Keiko Fujimori with 18.4%.

AND:  The central bank has raised banks' reserve requirements...for a third straight month...after food prices set a 33-month high in March. 
 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-01/peru-boosts-reserve-requirements-for-third-month-to-cool-surging-inflation.html

PERU: 25 Mar UPDATE: Toledo's Popularity In Free Fall; Fujimori In Virtual 1st Place Tie; Investors Dump Bonds Over Humala Mining Renegotiation Threats; Humala Profiled.

M.PRESS

   Just two weeks before the election, ex-president Alejandro Toledo and Keiko Fujimori (pictured)
 the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, are virtually tied with 20.5% and 20% in recent polls.
    Toledo's lead has melted away,losing 7.9 percentage points in the last three weeks.
    Pollster Manuel Saavedra believes the volatility is because the electorate is fed up with the aggressive, abusive campaigns that target private lives.
“Three week ago Toledo had a comfortable lead over his closest runner up but since he was the favourite all fire concentrated on his private life with the most unbelievable claims”, said Saavedra.

 AND: UPDATE:
   Peru's bonds are being dumped after surging leftist Humala said he would renegotiate energy and mining contracts with foreign companies if he wins next month’s vote. “We must recover sovereignty over Peru’s natural resources because the multinationals now own our gas and prefer to sell it abroad,” he told BLOOMBERG. “There must be a mining windfall tax as the current model isn’t sustainable.”
    Humala lost the 2006 runoff to current President Garcia by 5 percentage points. In 2000, he seized Southern Copper’s Toquepala mine to protest the corruption of President Fujimori, who later fled into exile.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-25/chavez-ally-humala-says-will-seek-to-renegotiate-peruvian-energy-contracts.html

ALSO: HUMALA profiled.
REUTERS claims that Humala, 48, is trying to transform his image from radical...to trustworthy family man.
"The problem (before) with Humala was that he had terrible advisors. Now you can see that it's a smart campaign," said an observer.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/25/us-peru-election-humala-idUSTRE72O4HI20110325

PERU: Humala's Surge Continues; Presidential Run-off Slot...Now A Toss-up.

M.PRESS/

   Ex-President Alejandro Toledo’s lead has narrowed...even as support for leftist Ollanta Humala (pictured) has soared.
 Recent polls show that Humala's popularity rose two percent to 17%.
 Three weeks ago he registered only 5%.
 Humala is an outspoken ally of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.
 Support also grew for former Finance Minister and banker Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. He garnered 14% support... up from 9% a week ago.
 Toledo now has 23% support... vs 26% a week ago.
 The first vote is 10 April.  On 5 June, there will be a second round... if no candidate wins more than 50%.

PERU: Humala Gaining Traction As Run-off Battle Heats-up.

REUTERS / P.VELEZ

   Leftist Ollanta Humala recently gained about 5 points in polling to 15% and is rapidly closing in on two candidates for the runoff spot in the 10 April presidential sweepstakes.
    Legislator Keiko Fujimori and former Lima Mayor Luis Castaneda are virtually tied for second.
    It means that any of three candidates could be pitted against front-runner Alejandro Toledo... in a 5 June runoff election. Toledo leads all others by at least 7 percentage points.

ALSO: 4:16 AUDIO ONLY Report: Reliable Colombia watcher JOHN OTIS explores Keiko Fujimori's campaign in Peru's upcoming contest.
http://www.theworld.org/2011/03/keiko-fujimori-peru/

PERU: Drug Money Accusations Roil Presidential Campaign.

REUTERS, GLOBE/MAIL

    Two presidential candidates and senior members of a third candidate’s party along with current President Alan Garcia have been linked by police or media to suspected drug traffickers or coca growers.
    Front-runner Alejandro Toledo (pictured above left with Humala) currently leading with about 29% support and left-winger Ollanta Humala have denied any direct ties.
     Garcia said he may have unwittingly accepted $5,000 for his last campaign.
     Candidate Keiko Fujimori said she took $10,000 from people she says were framed on drug charges.

PERU: 11 Arrested In Gold Miners Strike; Former Prez.Toledo Leads In Polls With World Banker "El Gringo" Kuczynski In 5th; Giant Rock Strands 150 Tourists Outside Machu Picchu; Garcia First To Cut Ties With Gadhafi.

REUTERS/ Caroline Stauffer/

    Former World Bank economist and presidential hopeful Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, 72, aka "El Gringo", (pictured) is in fifth place for the April 10 election. He was the finance minister and prime minister under former President Alejandro Toledo, who is also running and has a comfortable lead of 36.5 percent. Keiko Fujimori is second with 20.7 percent.
    Kuczynski is attempting to gain some traction by running an unorthodox campaign that includes playing Andean tunes on his flute and touring with a popular motivational speaker.

ALSO: 11 arrests were made on the first day of the strike of some 1,500 miners.
       Their indefinite strike is protesting the military operation destruction of illegal dredgers in the region.

AND: At least 150 tourists were stranded in Ollantaytambo by a large rock blocking the train tracks leading to Machu Picchu.

 AND: Peru was the first nation to suspend suspended diplomatic relations with Libya over the use of force against civilians there. It also wants the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, to prevent the use of fighter jets against the civilian population by the Libyan government.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12548239


ALSO:    The campaign of Keiko Fujimori is under a cloud after it was revealed that she had received $10,000 usd from an alleged narco businessman. She was recently booed and insulted at a campaign meeting. They shouted: “Murderer!” “Get out of here!” and  “you educated yourself with our money!

PERU: Toledo's Lead Grows Ahead Of April Election.

M.PRESS/

     Former President Alejandro Toledo's lead grew again for the 10 April presidential election, with Keiko Fujimori trailing and Toledo perhaps locking-up a run-off birth.
    Toledo garnered 30% support, up three points from last month.
   Support for congress-woman Keiko, the daughter of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori, was stagnant at 20%.

PERU: Former Prez.Toledo Narrowly Leading Polls With 27%.

LIVING IN PERU/

   Latest polls in the race for president show Alejandro Toledo leading with 27 percent support, trailed by Luis Castañeda with 22 percent followed by Keiko Fujimori with 20 percent.
   Toledo was president between 2001 and 2006. He is a Stanford-trained economist but while his presidency produced strong economic growth it did not help the many poor indigena people.

PERU: Ex-Prez Toledo Promises "No Surprizes" To Foreign Miners.

BLOOMBERG/
    Recently announced presidential candidate Alejandro Toledo, 64, pledges there will be “no surprises” for foreign mining companies if he wins back his job in April elections. Toledo is tied for second-place with 20 percent in a poll taken last month.
   Peru has commitments for $41 billion in mining and energy investments over the next decade.
   Toledo was Peru's often unpopular president from 2001 to 2006 and encouraged raw materials extractions growth.

PERU: Ex-Prez Toledo Announces For Another Presidential Run.

LIVING IN PERU/
   Alejandro Toledo, 64, Peru's president from 2001 to 2005, has announced another run for the office via Twitter.
    He faces a crowded field including Luis Castaneda, Lima's mayor ; Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of disgraced and imprisoned ex-President Alberto Fujimori; leftist former candidate Ollanta Humala; and, recently announced Mercedes Aráoz, the ex-finance minister in the García administration.
    Toledo's government was troubled by scandal and corruption as well as his initial refusal to acknowledge the existence of his daughter Zaraí.