George Forsyth was born in 1982 in Caracas, where his father worked at the Peruvian embassy in the Venezuelan capital. However, upon hearing anything that has to do with that citizenship, the now Peruvian presidential candidate seems to feel revulsion, disgust, hatred and xenophobia. Even in the midst of that bitter feeling, he curses the Venezuelans and swears that he will expel them from Peruvian soil.
Forsyth has become one of the South American politicians with presidential aspirations who use the Venezuela issue to try to instill fear. This is how he wants to attract the attention of the United States and obtain «benefits» and «resources» for his candidacy.
Some studies have already shown that Venezuelan migration does not generate an increase in crime in Peru. Even so, the presidential candidate for the National Victory (Victoria Nacional) political party, considers that Venezuelans are a curse for his country. Although the party that represents him claims to disassociate itself from the «old politics», George has always belonged to that bureaucracy. This is due to his father, Harold Forsyht, who has been linked to different governments for four decades.
His speeches are openly xenophobic
Forsyth was one of the presidential candidates who started the campaign in the midst of the crisis generated by the pandemic. He even did it when he was still mayor of the municipality of La Victoria, in the province of Lima.
He is a ‘favorite son’ of the Peruvian political elite that has dominated power for more than half a century. It is the same elite that today led the country to one of its worst political crises. Forsyth is singled out for drawing the attention of the press by using xenophobia in openly belligerent speeches.
His statements are openly xenophobic, mainly against Venezuelans. He always criminalizes these citizens who emigrated to Peru looking for new horizons, given the economic crisis that their country is experiencing. Venezuela is the victim of an iron blockade carried out by the United States, which causes a great loss in its quality of life, especially due to the continuous sabotage of its economy and its fundamental services.
Forsyth vs. Informal Traders
This controversial character, in addition to being xenophobic, is pointed out as a misogynist. George Forsyth has proven to be a fan of Donald Trump and a lover of weapons of war, in the style of far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. He is also addicted to social media, like the Salvadoran ultra-conservative Nayib Bukele. Curiously, these three characters, that he has as models, have gloomy records within their own government administrations.
One of Forsyth’s controversies is linked to his management as mayor of La Victoria. During this period, he dedicated himself to persecuting and repressing informal merchants with the police force. His ‘preferred’ area to do so, was one of those with the longest commercial life in Peru: Gamarra.
In one of those attacks against these workers – who try to earn a living in the midst of the pandemic to avoid being thrown out on the streets where they live – Forsyth assured that they are all Venezuelan citizens. He even called them criminals and blamed them for the people who were left wounded by his police raids and repressions.
According to the then mayor of La Victoria, Venezuelans were responsible for forming “cursed mafias” to exercise the informal market. “Damn mafias. We will never forget what they did to us today! We are working to put in order this situation, delivering more than seven thousand free stores for the street vendors who really want and need to work. But, these scourges want the disorder and chaos to continue to do as they please», said Forsyth on his social networks.
Forsyth’s ‘promise’ against Venezuelans
George Forsyth promised that “those responsible for the violence” would be expelled from Peru: “The operation is coming. They can’t stop it! I myself will be in the forefront. We are going to throw those Venezuelan criminals who broke our heads today from Peru».
Later, he assured – without presenting evidence – that 80% of Venezuelan migrants control the mafias in La Victoria. However, the Legal Defense Institute (IDL) demonstrated, through a study, that until November 2019 the Police claimed to have disrupted 1,028 criminal gangs. Of these, exactly 1,000 were Peruvian and 28 foreigners, including Colombians, Ecuadorians and Venezuelans.
The IDL also said – although it does not justify informal trade – that in La Victoria many migrants engage in this activity because the pandemic has hit them very hard. It even leaves them in a vulnerable situation, like most low-income Peruvians.
The IDL also denied Forsyth’s theory of the “cursed mafias”. The Institute alleges that the mafias are not organized by foreign informal traders. On the contrary, it affirms that precisely these are victims of the extortion applied to them by the mafias of the city of Lima.
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