In Peru, socialist presidential candidate Pedro Castillo told Peruvians he wouldn't nationalize companies as he leads against right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori.

Castillo remains in pole position to win the presidency in a second round ballot set for June, according to a Datum International poll that showed him garnering 41% against 26% for former lawmaker and three-time presidential candidate Fujimori.

Peru's sprawling mining industry, the world's No. 2 copper producer, has expressed some alarm about Castillo, who has gained increasing support in Peru's rural hinterlands and has proposed to redraft the country's constitution.

But Castillo blasted detractors, telling Radio Exitosa they had put words in his mouth. "I completely reject those that say that Pedro Castillo is going to nationalize," he said.

Though the poll revealed a yawning lead for Castillo, it also showed that 18% of those surveyed had yet to settle on a candidate, while 15% responded that they would annul their ballot or would not vote for any of the candidates.

Castillo's Peru Libre party has promised in filings to the country's elections agency that it would nationalize "strategic sectors" of production, including the mining sector.

But Castillo rejected those proposals, which he attributed to the party's leftist fringe, and brushed off those who liken him to Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

"There is no Chavismo here," Castillo said, referring to the brand of government installed by Maduro's socialist predecessor, Hugo Chavez. He urged Maduro to "first fix his own problems" before attempting to influence Peru. "The one who is going to govern is me," Castillo said.

Castillo's rival Fujimori, who has advocated pushing forward with Peru's free market economic model, said the front-runner's statements were contradictory.

"He is a real clone of Hugo Chavez," Fujimori said in a television interview. "He says one thing then does another."

    • Torenico [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Sucks, but literally most (if not all) Communist Parties in SA are poopoo. Hell, even the Partido Comunista of Argentina once said that they were worried about the "national bourgeoisie"...

        • Torenico [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Yes (on their facebook page, because that's the only way they can communicate). They're part of a coalition that is now the government, allied with Peronists of all kinds, from progressives to catholics and oligarchs. The other Communist Party, the PCR, is also part of this coalition. Saddest part is that they literally got NOTHING in return, no seats anywhere, no cabinet position, nada. Also both parties claim to be Maoist and see themselves as "Mao", the Peronists as "Chiang" and the Macrists (budget Macron) as the "Japanese", pretty fucking out of place comparison if you ask me.... they went hard with the "lesser evil" narrative, kinda like CPUSA, but that party is basically FBI agents spying on cops spying on CIA agents.

          So both PC and PCR spend their time shitting on the only independent leftist party; the FIT, which is a collection of Trot parties, because why not?