A Peruvian presidential candidate is raising concerns in the country’s small Jewish community with his nationalist and anti-Semitic rhetoric. Ollanta Humala is a retired lieutenant colonel who, together with his brother, led an army rebellion in a southern Peruvian compound two years ago. Humala is among the top three candidates in the nation’s April 9 presidential elections. Isaac Mekler, president of the Peruvian Jewish Association, called Humala “a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing,” claiming that he is hiding his anti-Semitism as part of his electoral strategy. Mekler said Humala and his brother, who are trying to organize an indigenous nationalist movement, utilized anti-Semitic language and showed a “deep-rooted hatred toward Jews” at the start of their campaign.
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