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| Mayor of Lima Susana Villarán fights for law and order - and her job | Mayor of Lima Susana Villarán fights for law and order - and her job |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| With her hippyish air, easy smile and penchant for flowing scarves, Susana Villarán might have looked to her opponents like a soft touch. But from the moment she became Lima's first female mayor two years ago, she has upset the status quo, taking on vested interests and shaking up a city that is home to one third of Peru's 30 million people. | With her hippyish air, easy smile and penchant for flowing scarves, Susana Villarán might have looked to her opponents like a soft touch. But from the moment she became Lima's first female mayor two years ago, she has upset the status quo, taking on vested interests and shaking up a city that is home to one third of Peru's 30 million people. |
| So robust has she been in taking on rackets and cartels that operate the much-maligned transport system and wholesale markets that she has made enough enemies to threaten her tenure: later this month, voters will be balloted on whether to remove the mayor halfway through her term. | So robust has she been in taking on rackets and cartels that operate the much-maligned transport system and wholesale markets that she has made enough enemies to threaten her tenure: later this month, voters will be balloted on whether to remove the mayor halfway through her term. |
| A charismatic career human rights activist, Villarán, 63, has nonetheless failed to win over a sizeable portion of Lima residents. Current polls indicate that a slight majority favour removing her, although her backers include the former UN secretary general, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, the Peruvian president, Ollanta Humala, intellectuals and even the political party of Lourdes Flores, the opponent she beat to the mayoral office. | A charismatic career human rights activist, Villarán, 63, has nonetheless failed to win over a sizeable portion of Lima residents. Current polls indicate that a slight majority favour removing her, although her backers include the former UN secretary general, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, the Peruvian president, Ollanta Humala, intellectuals and even the political party of Lourdes Flores, the opponent she beat to the mayoral office. |
| But the opposition was there from the beginning, Villarán says. She had barely sat in the mayoral seat before her political enemies were plotting her downfall: "I was not invited to the party, I was not the one who was supposed to be in the mayor's office," she said. | But the opposition was there from the beginning, Villarán says. She had barely sat in the mayoral seat before her political enemies were plotting her downfall: "I was not invited to the party, I was not the one who was supposed to be in the mayor's office," she said. |
| Fernando Tuesta, a politics professor at Lima's La Católica University, agrees. "She'd barely won when groups, political parties and sectors of the media began a campaign against her," he said. But he adds that Villarán, the leader of the tiny Fuerza Social (Social Force) party, "didn't build the necessary political alliances, leaving her very isolated". | Fernando Tuesta, a politics professor at Lima's La Católica University, agrees. "She'd barely won when groups, political parties and sectors of the media began a campaign against her," he said. But he adds that Villarán, the leader of the tiny Fuerza Social (Social Force) party, "didn't build the necessary political alliances, leaving her very isolated". |
| Villarán insists she didn't want to use her term as a "trampoline for the presidency. I didn't come into politics to behave like that." That is why, she says, she did not shy away from tackling the city's thorniest issues. The public transport network is dominated by ramshackle buses known as "combis", which weave across lanes of traffic belching black diesel fumes and stopping wherever they like. About 300,000 taxi cabs further clog up Lima's arteries. | Villarán insists she didn't want to use her term as a "trampoline for the presidency. I didn't come into politics to behave like that." That is why, she says, she did not shy away from tackling the city's thorniest issues. The public transport network is dominated by ramshackle buses known as "combis", which weave across lanes of traffic belching black diesel fumes and stopping wherever they like. About 300,000 taxi cabs further clog up Lima's arteries. |
| "It's really a necessity for Lima after three decades of absolute informality, disorder and chaos to impose some order," she said. She is trying to get bus drivers who work long hours with no benefits and are paid according to the number of passengers to accept fixed salaries. Taxi ranks will be installed to reduce congestion. | "It's really a necessity for Lima after three decades of absolute informality, disorder and chaos to impose some order," she said. She is trying to get bus drivers who work long hours with no benefits and are paid according to the number of passengers to accept fixed salaries. Taxi ranks will be installed to reduce congestion. |
| Villarán also pushed ahead with a move that the city's mayors have shied away from for decades: relocating the Parada wholesale market, which resulted in deadly clashes with the police in October. Neither of these moves has made her popular with the estimated 70% of Peruvians who work in the unregulated, informal sector. There is also growing impatience to see infrastructure improvements, particularly in the city's poorer, outlying neighbourhoods. | Villarán also pushed ahead with a move that the city's mayors have shied away from for decades: relocating the Parada wholesale market, which resulted in deadly clashes with the police in October. Neither of these moves has made her popular with the estimated 70% of Peruvians who work in the unregulated, informal sector. There is also growing impatience to see infrastructure improvements, particularly in the city's poorer, outlying neighbourhoods. |
| "Lima is paralysed, there are no concrete public works, no successful social programmes and crime is up," says Shadia Valdez, 24, a lawyer campaigning in the yellow colours of the campaign to remove Villarán. | "Lima is paralysed, there are no concrete public works, no successful social programmes and crime is up," says Shadia Valdez, 24, a lawyer campaigning in the yellow colours of the campaign to remove Villarán. |
| Marco Tulio Gutiérrez, a lawyer who has become the face of the anti-Villarán campaign, has capitalised on the perceived lack of construction: "The public disapproval for her mandate shows that people want physical public works. That's what a city like Lima needs. This lady has done absolutely nothing, just words, words, words," he said. | Marco Tulio Gutiérrez, a lawyer who has become the face of the anti-Villarán campaign, has capitalised on the perceived lack of construction: "The public disapproval for her mandate shows that people want physical public works. That's what a city like Lima needs. This lady has done absolutely nothing, just words, words, words," he said. |
| Villarán's supporters accuse Gutiérrez of being a frontman for her predecessor, Luis Castañeda, who left office with 85% approval after building joint public-private hospitals and hundreds of stairways in the city's poor outlying hillsides. Villarán insists she has invested more in infrastructure than Castañeda but admits "errors" in failing to publicise them. | Villarán's supporters accuse Gutiérrez of being a frontman for her predecessor, Luis Castañeda, who left office with 85% approval after building joint public-private hospitals and hundreds of stairways in the city's poor outlying hillsides. Villarán insists she has invested more in infrastructure than Castañeda but admits "errors" in failing to publicise them. |
| In the poor district of Villa María del Triunfo, where from a distance the homes look like multicoloured confetti scattered on an anthill, support for Villarán grows as walls and stairways are built. A park is also planned. "Neighbourhoods like ours have always been forgotten but Miss Susana is moving forward with the works," said resident Juana de la Sota, 67. "She's working out of love for the people, not out of love for her pocket! Let her finish the good works she's doing." | In the poor district of Villa María del Triunfo, where from a distance the homes look like multicoloured confetti scattered on an anthill, support for Villarán grows as walls and stairways are built. A park is also planned. "Neighbourhoods like ours have always been forgotten but Miss Susana is moving forward with the works," said resident Juana de la Sota, 67. "She's working out of love for the people, not out of love for her pocket! Let her finish the good works she's doing." |
| In neighbouring Villa el Salvador, community leader Tony Palomino also supports Villarán. "This is a battle between honesty and corruption. It's that simple," he said. | In neighbouring Villa el Salvador, community leader Tony Palomino also supports Villarán. "This is a battle between honesty and corruption. It's that simple," he said. |
| Coming into office, Villarán sought corruption charges against Castañeda. The former mayor is alleged to have diverted $10m in public funds into a phantom company. No charges have been brought. | Coming into office, Villarán sought corruption charges against Castañeda. The former mayor is alleged to have diverted $10m in public funds into a phantom company. No charges have been brought. |
| She has also enraged religious conservatives in the Catholic and evangelical churches by supporting gay rights and bringing in a bylaw prohibiting discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBTs). | She has also enraged religious conservatives in the Catholic and evangelical churches by supporting gay rights and bringing in a bylaw prohibiting discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBTs). |
| Faced with losing her job, Villarán realises she has stepped on a lot of political toes but, apart from having better communication, she says she would not have done anything differently. | Faced with losing her job, Villarán realises she has stepped on a lot of political toes but, apart from having better communication, she says she would not have done anything differently. |
| "I wanted to build a Lima that was more fair and just," she reflects. "Perhaps it was too idealistic to want to be part of a process of transformation for the city." | "I wanted to build a Lima that was more fair and just," she reflects. "Perhaps it was too idealistic to want to be part of a process of transformation for the city." |
| • This article was initially illustrated with an image of Villarán's rival, Lourdes Flores. This has been recitified. |