Alan Garcia

Alan Garcia

From CNN's Lucia Newman

Even Alan Garcia's fiercest critics concede that he has an almost-hypnotic ability to seduce Peruvians with his charisma, charm and oratory skills.

Six months ago, the man who governed Peru from 1985 to 1990 was considered the candidate least likely to succeed when he surprised his country by returning home from eight years in exile in Colombia and France, rising from the ashes like the phoenix in a bid to again rule Peru.

"There are two possible explanations," Garcia says. "That my electoral platform relates to the daily life of Peruvians, or that in reality I was never buried in the ashes, only covered by them by 10 years of dictatorship and manipulation by Alberto Fujimori."

Fujimori, Peru's last elected president, fled the country last year amid charges of corruption and electoral fraud. More than a decade earlier, however, Garcia was the one who left office in disgrace, leaving behind a bankrupt country with 7,500 percent inflation and uncontrollable left-wing guerrilla violence.

Quick Bio:  • Age: 51  • Party: Aprista Party (liberal)  • Experience: Lawyer; Peru's president 1985-1990  VIDEO CNN's Lucia Newman sits down with Peruvian presidential candidate Alan Garcia (June 2) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

He was only 35 when he was elected as Peru's youngest president from the historic center-left Apra party. Today, he admits he made some mistakes -- such as irresponsible fiscal policies.

"What I've recognized as an error is not having maintained fiscal stability during the last two years of my government," he says. But Garcia has never been known for his humility and adds that most of his problems were not his fault.

"One must understand that the problem wasn't just in my country but in all Latin America," he says. "Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela -- they all had inflation rates of 4,000 to 7,000 percent."

Garcia's supporters believe him when he says his experience is his strength because it allows him to avoid making the same mistakes. "He was young. Everyone can make mistakes. But he has experience, and his policies today sound solid," says a middle-aged shopkeeper, who is counting on Garcia to govern for the poor majority.

There are many theories to explain Garcia's surprising rise in popularity. "Apart from his charisma, he has the advantage that in comparison to the traumatic and humiliating experience Peruvians had with Fujimori, Garcia's previous sins pale by comparison," says Augusto Alvarez of the prestigious polling organization Apoyo.

Garcia, like rival Alejandro Toledo, has campaigned on promises to turn around Peru's economy, pledging to create millions of jobs and provide low interest credits not just to industry but also to the battered agricultural sector.

But he is keenly aware foreign investors are particularly wary of him because of his previous populist policies, which included an attempt to nationalize Peru's banks.

"In this new, different world of globalization, of emerging markets, and of a direct presence of international capital within the Peruvian economy, I think one must pay more attention to giving confidence to investors," he says.

Garcia's critics -- and there are many -- remain skeptical. They say he is known for "talking pretty" but not delivering.

"Alan Garcia does the opposite of most candidates, who are normally demagogues during the campaign and then become prudent in office," says political analyst Jaime D'Althous. "With Garcia, it's the opposite: He's prudent during the electoral campaign but then governs as a demagogue."

And in a bid to prove he really is a different man, Garcia promises that if he wins, he will call on Peru's best minds to take part in his government -- including Toledo. Not surprisingly, Toledo has yet to accept.

• Toledo likely to face runoff in Peru election
April 8, 2001
• Carter predicts fair presidential election in Peru
April 7, 2001

• Presidency of Peru (in Spanish)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
• Congress of the Republic of Peru

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