Javier Diez Canseco
Encyclopedia
Javier Diez Canseco Cisneros (born March 24, 1948) is a Peru
vian politician
and former member of the Peruvian Congress representing the party Partido Democrático Descentralista
(PDD), of which he is a co-founder. He was also a candidate for President of Peru as the head of the Socialist Party of Peru
in 2006 elections
. An avowed socialist
and communist
, Diez Canseco contributes regular OpEds to the center-left daily La República
.
During the 1990s, Diez Canseco was a vigorous opponent of President Alberto Fujimori
. He was also involved in investigations of human rights
violations committed by both Shining Path
and the Peruvian Armed Forces, and was repeatedly given death threats by both groups involved in the armed conflict.
Diez Canseco was taken captive in the 1997 Japanese embassy hostage crisis
in Lima
, but was released after several days. He subsequently called for a negotiated peace settlement between the government and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement
insurgents.
In March 1997, Diez Canseco's car was fired upon by heavily-armed assailants wearing bullet-proof vests, but he was not riding in it at the time. The assailants took control of the vehicle, and took its occupants, Diez Canseco's chauffeur, bodyguards, and a friend of his, to an unknown location in Lima
where they were interrogated and later freed. The assailants claimed they were police officers. http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ESLAMR460051997?open&of=ESL-2M3
In 2002, Diez Canseco led a congressional inquiry into the privatization program undertaken in the 1990s by Fujimori. The committee calculated that of the USD9 billion raised during the privatization process only a small fraction ended up benefiting the state. http://www2.congreso.gob.pe/Sicr/Prensa/heraldo.nsf/0/bc520537f55e0ec805256f3a006beff6?OpenDocument
In April 2006, he ran unsuccessfully for president in the presidential election
on the Peruvian Socialist Party
's ticket. He received 0.5% of the vote, coming in 9th place.
Diez Canseco has been critical of what he sees as the caudillismo of American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
. He also denounced the US
-led 2003 invasion of Iraq
as "neocolonialism
".
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former member of the Peruvian Congress representing the party Partido Democrático Descentralista
Socialist Party (Peru)
The Socialist Party is a Peruvian political party founded in 2005. Its presidential candidate for the 2006 national election was Javier Diez Canseco...
(PDD), of which he is a co-founder. He was also a candidate for President of Peru as the head of the Socialist Party of Peru
Socialist Party of Peru
Socialist Party of Peru is a political party in Peru. It was founded in 1930 by Luciano Castillo Colonna, through a split in the Peruvian Communist Party....
in 2006 elections
Peruvian national election, 2006
The first round of the 2006 Peruvian national election was held on April 9, 2006 to elect the President of the Republic, two Vice-Presidents, 120 Members of Congress, and five Peruvian members of the Andean Parliament , for the 2006-2011 period.No single presidential ticket obtained more than half...
. An avowed socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, Diez Canseco contributes regular OpEds to the center-left daily La República
La República
La República is a center-left newspaper published in Lima, Peru. It is one of the two main national dailies sold all over the country since it was founded on May 3, 1981. The paper was founded by Gustavo Mohme Llona, a former member of the Peruvian Congress...
.
During the 1990s, Diez Canseco was a vigorous opponent of President Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori served as President of Peru from 28 July 1990 to 17 November 2000. A controversial figure, Fujimori has been credited with the creation of Fujimorism, uprooting terrorism in Peru and restoring its macroeconomic stability, though his methods have drawn charges of...
. He was also involved in investigations of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations committed by both Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
and the Peruvian Armed Forces, and was repeatedly given death threats by both groups involved in the armed conflict.
Diez Canseco was taken captive in the 1997 Japanese embassy hostage crisis
Japanese embassy hostage crisis
The Japanese embassy hostage crisis began on 17 December 1996 in Lima, Peru, when 14 members of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement took hostage hundreds of high-level diplomats, government and military officials and business executives who were attending a party at the official residence of...
in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, but was released after several days. He subsequently called for a negotiated peace settlement between the government and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement
Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement
The Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement was a Marxist revolutionary group active in Peru from the early 1980s to 1997 and one of the main actors in the internal conflict in Peru...
insurgents.
In March 1997, Diez Canseco's car was fired upon by heavily-armed assailants wearing bullet-proof vests, but he was not riding in it at the time. The assailants took control of the vehicle, and took its occupants, Diez Canseco's chauffeur, bodyguards, and a friend of his, to an unknown location in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
where they were interrogated and later freed. The assailants claimed they were police officers. http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ESLAMR460051997?open&of=ESL-2M3
In 2002, Diez Canseco led a congressional inquiry into the privatization program undertaken in the 1990s by Fujimori. The committee calculated that of the USD9 billion raised during the privatization process only a small fraction ended up benefiting the state. http://www2.congreso.gob.pe/Sicr/Prensa/heraldo.nsf/0/bc520537f55e0ec805256f3a006beff6?OpenDocument
In April 2006, he ran unsuccessfully for president in the presidential election
Peruvian national election, 2006
The first round of the 2006 Peruvian national election was held on April 9, 2006 to elect the President of the Republic, two Vice-Presidents, 120 Members of Congress, and five Peruvian members of the Andean Parliament , for the 2006-2011 period.No single presidential ticket obtained more than half...
on the Peruvian Socialist Party
Socialist Party of Peru
Socialist Party of Peru is a political party in Peru. It was founded in 1930 by Luciano Castillo Colonna, through a split in the Peruvian Communist Party....
's ticket. He received 0.5% of the vote, coming in 9th place.
Diez Canseco has been critical of what he sees as the caudillismo of American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
The Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana is a centre-left Peruvian political party.At the legislative elections held on 9 April 2006, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and 36 out of 120 seats in the Congress of the Republic...
. He also denounced the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-led 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
as "neocolonialism
Neocolonialism
Neocolonialism is the practice of using capitalism, globalization, and cultural forces to control a country in lieu of direct military or political control...
".
External links
- Javier Diez Canseco´s Website
- Javier Diez Canseco on Twitter
- "A contracorriente" Javier Diez Canseco column in "La Republica" (in Spanish)
- Javier Diez Canseco radio comments (in Spanish)
- Socialist Party (Perú) (in Spanish)
- Interview - Radio France International: "Javier Diez Canseco, la pasión política" (9 February 2009) (in Spanish)
- Interview with Javier Diez Canseco (Agenciaperu.com, 7 April 2002) (in Spanish)
- "Avances y contusiones políticas tras el paro" (La República, 18 July 2004)