Portal:Peru/Selected article/6

Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso (born June 26, 1963) is a Peruvian left-leaning nationalist politician who ran for president in 2006 but lost in a runoff to Alan García. The son of Isaac Humala, a former member of the Communist Party of Peru - Red Fatherland, he joined the Peruvian Army in 1982. In the military he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; in 1992 he fought in the internal conflict against Shining Path and three years later he participated in the Cenepa War against Ecuador. On October 2000, Humala led an unsuccessful military uprising against President Alberto Fujimori and was pardoned by the Peruvian Congress after the downfall of the Fujimori regime.

In 2005 he founded the Peruvian Nationalist Party and registered to run in the 2006 presidential election. The nomination was made under the Union for Peru ticket as the Nationalist party did not achieve its electoral inscription on time. He won the first round of the elections, held on April 9, 2006, with 30.62% of the valid votes. A runoff was held on June 4 between Humala and Alan García of the Peruvian Aprista Party. Humala lost this round with 47.47% of the valid votes versus 52.62% for García. After his defeat, Humala has remained as an important figure within Peruvian politics. (more...)