Thread: Peru´s President Should Not Travel to US, Says Legislator

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Peru´s President Should Not Travel to US, Says Legislator

Lima, Sep 11 (Prensa Latina) Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo should not travel to the United States unless Congress grants him permission, legislator Heriberto Benitez stressed here Sunday.

The statesman has scheduled to fly to New York on Monday to attend the Review Summit of the Millennium Development Goals and the UN General Assembly sessions.

Toledo´s agenda also includes meeting with US high ranking official, in order to accelerate negotiations on the Washington-sponsored Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Benitez said that if Toledo decides to leave the country without the Congress´ consent, he would be violating one of the Constitution´s clauses that forbids presidents to travel abroad unless Congress authorizes it.

So far, the legislative power has not authorized Toledo´s visit; on the contrary, if the president goes ahead, this could create a legal and political instability, the lawmaker warned.

That is their Congress not our Congress. They feel that having him out of the country might destabilize their government. The civil government officials can not always trust their own military. A military overthrow under the circumstances of the President being overseas has happened before. At the least it may be neccessary for Peru's government to make concessions to the military to reduce the possibility of a coup, like raising pay.