The new general commander of the Peruvian army said Friday the army will "never again" intervene in political issues after controversial remarks by his predecessor strained ties between Peru and Chile.
General Otto Guibovich, who replaced Edwin Donayre on Friday, said the army will concentrate only on protecting the democracy and the national sovereignty.
"The power of the weapons has a constitutional reason and never again must interfere on political issues," he said.
A Peruvian TV political-journalism program last week broadcast a video in which Donayre claimed that in case of an invasion by Chile, "Chileans would be return inside coffins or plastic bags."
The video, recorded more than a year ago during a family meeting, provoked fury in Chile. Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley urged Peru to dismiss Donayre immediately, a move rejected by Peruvian President Alan Garcia.
Garcia said the remarks by Donayre were private instead of official, and his country would not follow orders from a foreign government.
Still, Garcia admitted that the words by Donayre, who retired Friday, "were not nice," even in private, as "a general commander with weapons."
Source: Xinhua
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