AXWORTHY CALLS FOR RESTRAINT DURING PERUVIAN INAUGURATION
July 27, 2000 (4:35 p.m. EDT) No. 187
AXWORTHY CALLS FOR RESTRAINT DURING PERUVIAN
INAUGURATION
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today called on all parties in Peru to exercise
restraint over the coming days as demonstrations are planned around the inauguration
of President Alberto Fujimori on July 28.
"I urge both the police and demonstrators to remain calm and use restraint over the
coming days. Peaceful demonstrations could be an important confidence-building
measure towards democracy," said Minister Axworthy. "Canadian officials, including MP
John Harvard, are in Peru and will be observing events closely. This is part of Canada's
ongoing commitment to democracy in Peru."
At the request of OAS foreign ministers, and at the invitation of the Government of Peru,
Minister Axworthy and OAS Secretary-General César Gaviria led a mission to Peru from
June 27 to 30 to explore ways of strengthening democracy in that country. The Mission
left Peru with an agreed-upon set of reform proposals in the areas of administration of
justice, electoral reform, civilian control of intelligence institutions and forces, and
freedom of the press. The OAS has begun to establish the mechanisms to carry out its
mandate in Peru. Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Eduardo Latorre was named
Special OAS Mission Secretary on July 11, 2000.
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Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874