Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(LIP-jl) -- A spokesman from Peru's governing political party - APRA, publicly accused former presidential candidate and current opposition leader Ollanta Humala and his Nationalist Party of masterminding the latest rash of protests that has plagued the country.

"Humala is impulsing violent social movements and disorder to undermine the progress that the current government has achieved," said Peruvian congressman and APRA spokesman Javier Velasques Quesquen.

Peruvian Nationalist Party members quickly came to the defense of their leader.

"It is absolutely false that Ollanta Humala and the Nationalist Party are behind the protests. What is happening here is a poor attempt by APRA party members to criminalize our political association. This type of smear campaign is nothing new to us," said Daniel Abugattas, congressman from Humala's Nationalist Party.

Abugattas added: "What is to be expected of a government whose Economy Minister says Peru is experiencing an economical boom and reverts US$1.8 billion to pay off external debts, while they can not come up with US$6 million to hire teachers in Loreto (jungle department)?"

The pubic exchanges were made by the congressmen after Peruvian Prime Minister Jorge Del Castillo announced that an investigate delegation will determine whether or not the mobilizations were incited by members of Peru's political arena.

"This is not a case of a country falling apart. There are people behind these protests who seek to gain political advantages. We will investigate the allegation that a plot to undermine the government's progress is behind the recent nationwide strikes. Apart from drug cartels and the Shining Path, there is someone else calling the shots," said Del Castillo without naming any possible suspects.

"It's actually kind of strange. We settled one strike and another one immediately sprouts up," added Del Castillo.