Peruvianselectedarags-to-riches2economistastheirnextpresidentinavotethathighlightedpersistingracialdivisionsinthelandwhereSpanishconquistadors3defeatedtheancientIncaEmpire.
With87percentofthevotecounted,AlejandroToledodefeatedAlanGarcia,52percentto48percent.InternationalobserverssaidthisrunoffelectionwasPeru'scleanestvoteinyears.
"TonightPeruvianscelebratethetriumphofdemocracy,"ToledotoldthousandsgatheredinfrontoftheSheratonHotelindowntownLima."Iswear,brothersandsisters,Iwillneverletyoudown."Toledo,ashoeshineboywhorosefrompovertytobecomeaWorldBankeconomistbeforeenteringpolitics,willbecomePeru'sfirstfreelyelectedpresidentofIndiandescentandprobablythefirstpresidenteverinLatinAmericawhomadeIndianprideacornerstoneofhiscampaign.
Toledocapitalizedonhisdark,chiseledIndianfeaturesandshortstaturetomountacampaignrepletewithimageryoftriumphantInca4emperorsandwithodestoIndianglory.
SuchrhetoriccameasashockinacountrywhereIndiansfacediscriminationinalmosteverywalkoflifeandwheretwoofthetoptelevisioncomedyactsarewhitemenfrolickingaroundassillyIndianwomenincolorfulskirts.
Garcia,a6-foot-3Spanish-lookingformerpresident,usedflowerylanguagetoovercomememoriesofhiscalamitous1985-90presidency,marredbycorruption,guerrillaviolence,foodshortagesandhyperinflation.
HereturnedtoPeruinJanuarytoseekre-electionafternearlynineyearsinexilewaitingforcorruptionchargesagainsthimtoexpire.Despitehisloss,heemergesasPeru'sstrongestoppositionvoiceandaforcetobereckonedwithinthefuture.
Garcia'scampaignstumbledbecauseitfailedtoreachtheIndianandmixed-racepopulationthatmakesup80percentofPeru's26millionpeople.ManyofthosevotersfoundanewhopeinToledo.
"HewillbeasymbolforallofPeru,"saidMarianodelaCruz,62,anIndianmigrantfromthehighlandsstateofAyacucho,aftervotinginaLimaslum."It'sasourceofpridethatforthefirsttimeinmylifeI'llhavesomeoneofIndianracegoverningme."
Withpartialregionalresultstallied,itwasclearthattheheavilyIndianhighlandsvotedlargelyforToledo,whileGarciatookcoastalareasdominatedbydescendantsoftheSpanishconquistadors.
Toledo'scampaignclearlytargetedpeoplewithindigenousroots.Callinghimself"astubbornIndianwithacause,"heusedsymbolsoftheancientIncaEmpireanddressedinpointyhatsandmulticoloredtunicsduringcampaignstops.
"Thisisaveryracistsociety,"ToledosaidduringhisfinalcampaignstopinthehighlandscityofCuzco5."Theelitistleadershipstillhastroubledigestingthepossibilitythat
someonelikeuscouldcometogovern."
AnthropologistJuanOssiosaidToledorecognizedthepotentialpoliticalforceofPeru'sIndianpopulationduringhisfirstpresidentialcampaigni1995whenhiscampaignsloganwas"aPeruvianlikeyou"andfinallywasabletocapitalizeonitthisyear.
"HehaslearnedtoplayverywellwiththesymbolsofAndeanculture,"Ossiosaid."NowPresidentToledohasthedutytobuildbridgessothetwoculturescancometogether.
Toledoacknowledgedthatresponsibilityinhisvictoryspeech,pledgingtobe"apresidentforallPeruvians".
But,headded:"Inme,you'llhavethesameAlejandrowhowalksthestreets,thesameAlejandrowhoreachesouthishandtotouchyours."
Toledocampaignedlargelyonapopulistplatform.Hehaspledgedtocreate2.5millionjobs,raisesalariesforpublicworkersandlowertaxes."Heknowsthepovertyweendure,"saidIndianvoterPrimitivaHuaman,58."Heknowsalloursuffering."
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