Humala Sworn in as Peru’s President

Ollanta Humala, a former army officer, was sworn in as Peru’s new president Thursday after narrowly defeating Keiko Fujimori, daughter of jailed former president Alberto Fujimori, in a second-round vote in June.

Humala has described himself as a moderate left politician, likening his views to those of former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Humala replaces Alan Garcia, whose presidency coincided with a period of positive economic growth in Peru. One of the hallmarks of Humala’s campaign was a vow to distribute Peru’s wealth to the poor and more heavily tax the booming mining industry.

Despite beating Fujimori, a more right-leaning candidate, Humala’s party does not have a majority in Peru’s congress.

NewsHour’s Ray Suarez reported from the country last year, on Peru’s economic growth, at a time when many economies were contracting.

And Larisa Epatko reported on the significance of the run-off election in the spring.

Retired Army commander and presidential candidate for the Gana Peru Party, Ollanta Humala, addresses hundreds of supporters at a rally in Lima on April 10, 2011, after the closing of the general elections. Photo by Cris Bouroncle/AFP/Getty Images.