A Peruvian politician causes controversy after a crossdressing dance is blamed of racism

The man in the photo is not a foreign crossdresser trying to portrait as a Peruvian woman. Let me introduce you to Ismael Benavides, the 63 years old Minister of Agriculture of Peru.

Foto La Primera

Benavides traveled last weekend to Concepcion -a beautiful city of the central Andes of Peru- to promote a government program intended to increase the production of potato, facing the worldwide food crisis. He ended up dressing up as an Andean woman.

Several Peruvian media are saying this show was done following President Alan Garcia's orders to do anything in order to gain popularity among locals. Garcia is one of the most unpopular presidents of Latin America with 30-35% approval rates.

According to the official news, Concepcion people invited the Minister to join a Native dance where men dress as women. But as you can see the video included in this post, all was part of a previously planned ceremony where people were clearly told what to do.

Minister Benavides -who is white- or someone in his office thought that in order to appeal to locals, he should portrait as a farmer woman carrying a baby (a blonde doll in this case) in the back, as most Andean women do. But Peruvians are a bit uncomfortable with this show, as the images can be very tasteless and a disrespectful.


Get to know him

Benavides is an Agricultural Engineer, a businessman, and a right-wing politician, who has been Minister of Fishing (Belaunde) and also of Agriculture(Garcia's first term), a consultant for the World Bank, head of Peruvian bank Intebank, and leader of the powerful Peruvian Bank Association. He was a close adviser to the Bolivian government during the 1986 privatization process of President Victor Paz administration. This process was part of a fierce neoliberal policy run by then Minister Gonzalo Sanchez (who was later elected President but had to escape to the US). As these policies were imposed in Bolivia, they became a reason for the huge social movement that resulted with the election of President Evo Morales in 2005.

In 1990 Benavides became one of the main organizers of Frente Democrático FREDEMO, a political party that launched writer Mario Vargas candidacy for president of Peru. Although Vargas lost to Alberto Fujimori, Benavides was elected congressman of Ica which is a region south of Lima that is experiencing today a boom of agribusinesses.

He descends from a family that is part of Peru's oligarchy, involved in politics, agribusiness and economy. The Benavides family has been producing Pisco, the traditional Peruvian brandy made of white grapes, for over three generations. Benavides has became the Minister of Agriculture of Peru for second time, and only in Peru an agribusiness owner is chosen to run the agriculture policies of the whole nation.

Benavides produces grapes, asparaguses and oranges among others, goods that are in high demand thanks to free market agreements with the US and soon Canada. His political and economical influence are noticeable: the rich valley of Ica has seeing a growing influx of investors from the Chilean wine industry, who have purchased most of its land. Not a coincidence, Benavides has been the President of the Peruvian-Chilean Chamber of Commerce.


What is the matter

If you don't know much about Peruvians, this photo and video will tell you a lot: a white man tries to be funny and friendly while representing an Indigenous women.

Peru is a country where most people are of Native and African heritage, but a tiny elite of whites who descend from the 16th. century invaders and other later immigrants, have retained control of most of the country's economical and political power.

Last February the government of Garcia killed 4 Peruvian farmers who were protesting against free-trade policies, and so far no one has been prosecuted. Meanwhile, Minister Benavides is still in charge and now he is dancing with the farmers like nothing happened.

VIDEO

A MINISTER GOT NO MOVES
A Lima TV Station reports - in Spanish




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