Living in Peru : your everyday companion

As we sat down to lunch in our favorite chifa, Liliana said, “Let’s not talk about the election, I am tired of it.”

We all nodded our agreement, and immediately we began talking about the election. The temptation was too great. We just had to hash over the latest gossip about Peru's candidates.

Whether they were true or not, fascinating stories were circulating about the leading political figures in this country and elsewhere. This has been an especially juicy time for gossip. (For example, outside Peru we had the antics of our former governor in California and the head of the IMF to entertain us.) I am somewhat embarrassed to write that we had lots of fun exchanging these stories during our lunch.

Two of us at that lunch, the men, are expatriates who cannot vote in the election. Our wives are citizens of Peru. They face a completely different situation. By law, they are required to vote. Failure to do so is punishable by a hefty fine. They have to make a choice even if it is to submit a blank ballot.

On the other hand, we expatriates can only be observers in the Peruvian electoral process. For me that is a somewhat odd situation. In the U.S., I was very interested in politics; I always voted. In addition, I diligently studied all the candidates and the issues, thanks to the information provided by our local League of Women Voters. It was important to me to make the best decision possible for my vote.

Here in Lima, I can only watch. In that regard, my feelings are ambivalent. On the one hand, I feel a sense of relief. I can view the whole process with detachment. I don’t have to decide anything. In that way, I am not as emotionally involved in the electoral process as I was in the United States. However, it is also frustrating because I realize that I will have to live with the results just like any other resident in Peru. That makes me want to become involved.

This is a tough election. I hear Peruvians express considerable doubts about each of the presidential candidates. Yet the people I talk to are really taking their vote seriously by thinking hard about the implications of their choice. Voting for a candidate is always a leap of faith and especially so in this instance. Voters need to decide if the past is a good indicator of future behavior, or if they can believe that a candidate will do what he says he will do.

When some Peruvians have asked for my opinion about the election, I pointed out that I am an innocent. They have a lot more experience and background information than I do. What I know is what I read in the papers, and by listening to television commentaries along with conversation with friends. It is not enough to make a good judgment. I haven’t lived through the many crucial events that have affected recent Peruvian history. I lack that important experience, and therefore my opinion is of limited value.

What I am, though, is a deeply interested observer.

In that regard, the next few weeks should be fascinating.


Larry J. Pitman is a college professor and writer who moved to Peru in 2005. He is part of the Peru Writers Group. Read his essays every Monday at LivinginPeru.com.

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5 Comments

# Kelly Phenicie says :
31 May, 2011 [ 10:50 ]

Larry, I love reading your articles, they're always entertaining :)  But I think it's unfortunate that you feel your opinion is of limited value. Despite being expats, this is what a lot of us call home and I don't think we have to forfeit our right to a well-respected opinion. I've been shot down a few times by Peruvians for being a) too young, or b) a foreigner, but to me, democracy is all about love for plurality and difference of opinions. Having an opinion doesn't mean you're right, it means you care about this country because it's your home (and that you're smart enough to form an educated opinion). But that's just my take on the issue ;)  

# Gassy Butt McGee says :
31 May, 2011 [ 04:24 ]

I think we should have each candidate fart and see which one smells worse. The one that smells the most like eggs should be declared the winner.

# Rick Crosby says :
1 June, 2011 [ 06:08 ]

I am not an expat, but I am concerned about the election in Peru that will occur next Sunday, even though I live a thousand miles from Peru. Why? Not only do I love the country, but I have relatives who live in Peru and my wife is from Peru. I want to see only the best for them and Peruvians. I have been In Peru when the military controlled the country, and I don't want to see that happen again. 

# Liliana Wiesner says :
1 June, 2011 [ 09:42 ]

Hi Larry.  Thanks for sharing your feelings and views as an expat about this particularly difficult issue.    It was a great lunch by the way.  We'll need more of those during the weeks ahead of us.  It is certainly a very tough election.  Let's just hope, as Carstens says, that whatever happens on Sunday, the next president will do a good job to improve life for everyone in Peru and leave office after five years as he or she should.

# JOEL POOLE says :
2 June, 2011 [ 11:18 ]

LARRY YOUR WORDS ARE THE TRUTH THAT EVERY EXPAT ON THIS SITE RUNNING OFF AT THE MOUTH SHOULD REALIZE!!!!
THEY (YOUR WORDS) ARE SIMPLE YET PROFOUND AND I RESPECT YOU MORE HAVING READ THEM..

"What I know is what I read in the papers, and by listening to television commentaries along with conversation with friends. It is not enough to make a good judgment. I haven’t lived through the many crucial events that have affected recent Peruvian history. I lack that important experience, and therefore my opinion is of limited value."

    THANK YOU AGAIN

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