When he takes office on July 28, Peru’s president-elect, Ollanta Humala, will step onto a tightrope. On one side will be extractive industries such as mining, which over the past decade have spurred spectacular economic growth ranging from 6% to 10% annually. On the other are the poor, rural communities that complain they have lost land and water sources to extractive projects and received no economic benefit. Strong support from those marginalized communities allowed Humala to narrowly win the June 5 presidential runoff without carrying Lima and several other coastal regions that have benefited from the economic bonanza. Now the former Army officer, who has no government experience, must deliver on his promise of a better life for the poor, while calming the jitters... [Log in to read more]