He just won a six-year term, and under the new rules could hold office for the next 13 years. The parallels to Peru, another center of political turmoil in the region, are clear, if imperfect. President Alberto Fujimori is further along in the process, struggling to hold onto a mandate weakened by allegations of electoral fraud. He faces a vocal opposition that has taken to the streets and violently clashed with police. The prospect of unrest and uncertainty undermines critically needed economic progress.
Investors shy away.
But they scatter the small middle class, many of whom are leaving the country and heading for Florida. The idea of a strong hand at the helm had appeal. But the gravitation toward authoritarianism, Latin America's bane, is all too clear. What happens there matters greatly. Before bookmarking this page in your browser, click here .