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DE RUEHPE #4046/01 2851836
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121836Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2682
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 1539
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4007
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7021
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 2625
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 9836
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ OCT QUITO 0749
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0910
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/CDR USCINCSO MIAMI FL

UNCLAS LIMA 004046 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DRL/IRF FOR DEBORAH SCHNEIDER 
INR FOR JAMES SANDERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PHUM VE PE
SUBJECT: EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS CARVE OUT POLITICAL SPACE 
 
REF: A. LIMA 1765 
     ¶B. LIMA 1220 
     ¶C. LIMA 4197 (05) 
     ¶D. LIMA 3415 (05) 
     ¶E. LIMA 3414 (05) 
 
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Summary: 
-------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Peru's Evangelical Protestants constitute a rising, 
pro-US, anti-radical force that helped Alan Garcia defeat 
Ollanta Humala in Peru's 6/4 presidential race (Ref A-D). 
Garcia showed his gratitude when he attended a post-inaugural 
Evangelical "Thanksgiving" service held in his honor.  There 
are half a dozen Evangelicals in Congress from various 
parties; they hold two of Congress' top four offices 
(President and Third Vice President); and former presidential 
candidate and Evangelical Pastor Humberto Lay is now running 
second in the race for Lima Mayor.  Though Lay won't likely 
defeat popular incumbent Luis Casteneda, his candidacy shows 
that the Evangelicals have tasted politics and will remain a 
factor.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) After Evangelical Pastor Humberto Lay's surprising 
sixth place finish in Peru's first-round presidential race in 
April, taking just over four percent of the vote nationwide, 
APRA candidate Alan Garcia took notice.  He courted Lay and 
his followers during the second round, meeting quietly with 
50 Evangelical Pastors in mid-April and promsing them, among 
other things, a prominent place in ceremonies surrounding his 
inauguration.  Lay's support proved critical for Garcia's 
second-round face off with Ollanta Humala in June, since the 
former drew votes from the same impoverished rural and urban 
groups that supported Ollanta Humala. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
Post-Inaugural "Thanksgiving" with the Evangelicals 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶3.  (U) President Garcia showed his appreciation for the 
Evangelicals' backing in late July when he attended a 
post-inaugural "Thanksgiving" service held by Evangelical 
Pastors at the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Pueblo 
Libre.  This was the first time Protestant organizations had 
participated in the ceremonies surrounding a presidential 
inauguration.  Garcia brought several of his cabinet 
Ministers and a number of top APRA legislators, including 
Mercedes Cabanillas, President of the Congress (herself an 
Evangelical).  About 2,000 Peruvian Evangelicals attended as 
well as the leader of the opposition, pro-Fujimori Party 
Alliance for the Future, Keiko Fujimori. 
 
------------------------ 
Evangelicals in Congress 
------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (SBU) While there are two Evangelical Congress 
representatives from Humberto Lay's National Restoration 
party (RN), Mirta Lazo and Juan Perry Cruz, other parties 
also count Evangelicals in their ranks, including: Congress 
President Mercedes Cabanillas, Congress Third Vice President 
and member of the pro-Fujimori Party Alliance for the Future 
Luisa Cuculiza, and Unidad Nacional Congress rep from 
Trujillo Wilson Urtecho, and indigenous representative from 
Ollanta Humala's Peruvian Nationalist Party Maria Sumire. 
 
---------------------- 
Lay is Running, Again! 
---------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) In August, former RN presidential candidate Humberto 
Lay announced that he would run for Mayor of Lima.  An APOYO 
poll taken in mid-June showed him with the second-highest 
approval rating (38 percent) of any candidate, following 
incumbent Lima Mayor Luis Castaneda (who scored 82 percent). 
A subsequent late July Indice poll comparing Castaneda, Lay 
and several other candidates had Castaneda scoring 49.7 
percent and Lay 21.4 percent, establishing Lay as the only 
candidate with any meaningful popular support in Lima beside 
Castaneda. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Lay's popularity has subsequently dipped due to 
divisions within his National Restoration Party.  Even so, he 
holds onto second place in the polls with 9-10 percent of the 
vote, far ahead of the APRA and other candidates, and in 
recent days his campaign has raised its profile in Lima by 
posting numerous billboards throughout the city.  In addition 
to Lima, Lay's campaign people claim that RN is fielding as 
many as four thousand candidates nationwide in regional and 
municipal races.  RN is reportedly doing well in Loreto, 
where Evangelical Pastor John Quino is a strong candidate. 
 
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Comment: 
-------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Peruvian Evangelicals constitute an increasingly 
politically aware and disciplined voting group with roots 
among the urban and rural poor.  Their efforts in the 
upcoming regional and municipal elections could represent a 
solid, if still small, core among the likely sea of electoral 
fragmentation. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Peruvian Evangelicals line up with the U.S. on a 
variety of issues, among them terrorism, narcotrafficking and 
anti-corruption (Refs A-D).  They also broadly share many of 
our fundamental values, including the importance of free 
markets and democracy.  Most important, they continue to 
increase in number.  (Peru was estimated 1-2 percent 
Protestant in 1990.  It is 12-15 percent Protestant today, 
the vast majority Evangelicals.)  The Evangelicals' influence 
will likely increase, both through RN and through converts 
among members of existing political parties.  President 
Garcia's astute recognition of this group is probably the 
most convincing evidence of their political potential. 
POWERS