Mitchel Azcueta, mayor of the Villa EL Salvador, was closely linked to inner circles of the revisionist "left" in Peru in the 1980's. Today, he is a member of "Unity for Peru" (UPP), a party of the big bourgeoisie led by the old servant of Yankee imperialism Javier Perez de Cuelllar. Azcueta is as Peruvian as Mickey Mouse. He is an anticommunist former Spanish priest who came to Peru 27 years ago.He was a member of the Catholic organization "Faith and Joy." In 1971, upon request of the military dictatorship headed by general Velasco Alvarado, he incorporated himself to the group he organized at Villa El Salvador, a district they labeled "self-sufficiency City." In 1983, as a candidate for PUM and the United Left (IU) he won the mayoralty of Villa El Salvador. In November of 1989, he accompanied the list of Henry Pease (IU) and was elected as regent in the municipality of Lima. In 1992, amidst the IU crisis, he openly broke with that organization and came closer to the Aprista Party (APRA), of nefarious track record in Peru. That same year he proclaimed himself a candidate for mayor of Lima and sought the political favor of APRA. He pointed out, "there are sectors in APRA, who have told me, "I vote for you."They are very serious elements in APRA." (SI magazine, 17 Feb. 92.)
But he did NOT become a legitimate target of the revolution because of his party political affiliations or his foreign nationality. In 1992, Fujimori called for an "antiterrorist front" and the formation of urban rondas. Azcueta and his partner Moyano immediately endorsed the regime's call to organized a paramilitary force in Villa El Salvador. Their attempts to impose the "urban rondas" were rejected by the people and failed. Moyano was executed by the revolution and Azcueta fled to Spain.
In 1993, thinking he would win the municipality of Lima, he founded the "Democratic Platform," a melting pot of assorted "leftists," opportunists, religious persons, former Apristas and former military officers. That same year, heading the "Democratic Platform," he managed to get an astounding 4.2 % of the vote. In the 1995 elections, he showed up as a candidate in the list of "We Are Lima," led by the fascist Alberto Andrade Carmona, current mayor of Lima and a character of the Peruvian right whose main task is massacring street vendors (ambulantes).
FROM "LEFT" UNITY TO THE RIGHT Michael Azcueta has been known for quite some time in Villa El Salvador. Since 1983, he devoted himself to organizing counterinsurgent "'urban rondas" in that district. This activity was carried out together with Maria Elena Moyano ("Mother Courage.") In 1990 he began his career as a government official. He was appointed, directly by Fujimori, president of the Peruvian Sports Institute. In l99l, he launched a harangue in favor of the Peruvian puppet petty-tyrant. (La Republica 04 Jan. 91). He said that the changes Peruvians waited for had the "symbolism and manifestation in the election of engineer Alberto Fujimori as President of the Republic."
Starting in 1992 he began a campaign in the Peruvian press to point fingers at "senderistas infiltrated in the people's organizations." In April of 1992 he was accused of corruption and misuse of funds from international contributions destined to the small industry at Villa El Salvador. The charge was formulated by Maximo Huarcaya, president of the Association of Small Entrepreneurs of the district. He openly backed up the former mayor of Villa El Salvador Jhony Rodriguez, who is charged with having murdered a village worker in September 1992. In June 1993 the Maoist guerrillas attempted his annihilation. The subversive command of seven fighters attacked with bullets and explosives the large security police force the regime had assigned since 1980 to protect Michael Azcueta. After that incident, he went back to Spain. He returned to Peru in 1994 to continue his task of organizing paramilitary groups and working hand-in-hand with the reactionary armed forces of Fujimori.
AZCUETA: CORRUPT UP TO HIS NECK In 1995, he became again mayor of Villa El Salvador in an election plagued with fraud and where the great elector was the military. His agenda is the same: in coordination with the armed forces, tries to initiate a system for the paramilitary organization of the civilian population. The name is now the "Citizen's Security Plan" or "serenazgos," inspired by fascism, which is a new modality of the "urban rondas." The paramilitary group proposed by Azcueta is characterized by subordinating the population of Villa El Salvador to the police forces. Azcueta recently declared he seeks "participation by the community organized in sectors, besides youth groups, teachers, parents associations and of course the National Police." Azcueta openly stated in 1996: "The plan is circumscribed within the Police reorganization now carried on by general Ketin Vidal. He also told the press that dozens of PCP cadres (some of them former prisoners of war) are walking freely in the streets. Thus, he was justifying the massive number of arrests of unarmed civilians conducted periodically by the reactionary armed forces. General Vidal was ousted in 1997.
Once again, Azcueta's plan in the young town of Villa El Salvador is being defeated. As things develop in Peru, sooner or later he will be judged by the people for all his crimes. At that time, the winner of the imperialist award "Prince of Asturies" (for being a snitch and servant of imperialism) will receive, from the hands of the genocidal dictator Fujimori, the title he rightfully deserves: The Father Courage.
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