Peru’s Little-Noticed Visit is Canada’s Latest Alliance Step
Peru’s Little-Noticed Visit is Canada’s Latest Alliance Step
A private-sector friendly approach to governing naturally disposed Peru towards good relations with Canada, points out COA’s Eric Farnsworth.
At least he had a chance to sign the guestbook.
Peruvian president Ollanta Humala Tasso’s scheduled press conference with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and their joint championing of new bilateral agreements, was cancelled suddenly on April 10 when news broke of the sudden death of Jim Flaherty, less than a month after the former finance minister resigned from his post.
The state visit, barely publicized in Canada thanks in part to wall-to-wall Flaherty coverage, was the latest in a series of moves over the past several years aimed at building ties between Canada and what’s seen as a natural ally for the Harper government in Latin America....
The alliance members are building towards a level of integration similar to that of the EU, and Canada may not be comfortable with opening up its labour markets to such an extent to the other members, said Eric Farnsworth, the Washington-based vice-president of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society....
Natural ally
The uptick in bilateral work between Canada and Peru is a result of good politics as well as good economics, analysts said.
Mr. Humala was elected in 2011, and was perceived by some to be a leftist leader who would focus on redistributing wealth and restricting the private sector, said Mr. Farnsworth.
“The truth is he hasn’t done that,” he said.
Over the past several years Peru has moved away from the ideological politics practiced in some of its Latin American neighbours, and towards “pragmatism,” said Mr. Dade.
The move toward a private-sector friendly approach to governing naturally disposed Peru, which has an economy heavily depending on the mining sector, towards good relations with Canada, Mr. Dade and Mr. Farnsworth said....
