Americas News
US alerts Peru of alleged plot to kill President Alan Garcia
By DPA
Nov 3, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Lima - The US has alerted Peruvian authorities of a possible extreme-right plot to kill Peruvian President Alan Garcia, Cabinet chair Jorge del Castillo confirmed, though both sides stressed the information was not very credible.

Del Castillo said the information was being evaluated and that necessary precautions had been taken, but did not give further details.

Earlier, Interior Minister Pilar Mazzetti said the president's security was reinforced in the face of the alert, although she said the information could be wrong.

'Every time there is a piece of news it can be a smoke curtain or it can be serious. Our obligation is to consider that it is something serious,' Mazzetti said.

US Ambassador James Curtis Struble also stressed the information 'is not credible,' but explained that US diplomatic authorities had to submit it to authorities in Lima for their evaluation.

'I have general instructions from Washington and in the cases where we have information about a possible murder attempt against a Peruvian official we have to share it with the government, even if we do not consider it credible, because it is presumed that they could have complementary information,' Struble said.

A TV programme reported on Wednesday night that the US Embassy in Lima told the government of the plan to kill leftist Garcia, allegedly to be orchestrated by members of the military and the business community who fear their interests might be affected by the president's policies.

According to the report, the murder attempt was set to take place after regional and municipal elections scheduled for November 19, and the plan was to bomb Garcia's plane or shoot it down with a missile.

Several analysts have said the alleged plan is 'implausible,' among other things because up until now there are no political signs pointing to the fact that the right might fear Garcia's decisions.

'It is a dubious piece of information. It contains elements that lead one to doubt its nature,' Defence Minister Allan Wagner said, although he said it will be subjected to investigation.

Garcia, 57, made many enemies with his populist policies during his first troubled presidency (1985-1990). He was inaugurated as president again in July, although with a more conservative orientation.