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PERU'S PRESIDENT LAUNCHES GAY-BAITING PURGE

By Greg Butterfield

Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori purged his government's 
diplomatic corps in January. He axed 117 people, including 
ambassadors. The reason? Fujimori claimed all 117 are lesbians
and gay men.

The International Lesbian and Gay Association released a
statement by 15 gay diplomats condemning Fujimori's purge. "Most
of the 117 who were relieved were neither gay nor lesbian, but
held positions of power in Peru's government prior to Fujimori's
presidency, and were seen as potential threats to his
reorganization campaign," according to ILGA.

Gay baiting has long been a favorite tactic of right-wing
reaction.

In April 1992, Fujimori fronted a military coup that suspended 
Peru's elected Congress and the Constitution. The government has 
since grown more despotic as it seeks to please its masters in 
Washington and crush the workers' and peasants' revolutionary 
movement.

The ILGA statement concluded: Fujimori "should respect and defend
the rights of all Peruvian citizens, including gays and lesbians.
This political act in which gays and lesbians have been obliged
to be the figureheads is proof that what has really been purged
from Peru is democracy itself."

Meanwhile, since the capture of Abimael Guzman, Peruvian rebels
led by the Communist Party of Peru ("Shining Path") have taken a
new offensive they call the Sixth Military Plan.

On Jan. 22, during a build-up for municipal elections, guerrillas
attacked U.S. transnational corporations, including an American 
Airlines office and a Coca-Cola bottling plant in the capital
city, Lima.

One- and two-day armed strikes were called in Lima, Ayacucho and 
other cities in the days leading up to the Jan. 29 elections.

Fujimori had announced the elections would include a referendum
on the death penalty for rebel prisoners. But the government
dropped the referendum at the last minute without comment.

On Feb. 4 and 5, rebels attacked police and military positions 
across Peru, including Lima, Piura and Yanaorcco Chico. Guerilla 
squads also hit Banco de Credito and Banco Continental in Lima.
The Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement is also said to have
launched anti-police attacks in early February.


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Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if
source is cited. For more info contact Workers World, 46 West 21st
Street, New York, NY 10010; e-mail: ww%nyxfer@igc.apc.org or
workers@mcimail.com.


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