delivered on the occasion of the 138th anniversary of the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL).
The statement is reproduced below:
"In response to what has been requested regarding the statements of the President of the Republic, Mr. Jose Maria Balcazar, which were made on the occasion of the 138th anniversary of the creation of the Lima Chamber of Commerce, they referred to the book 'Los Enemigos del Comercio,' by Antonio Escohotado, and reflect the author's opinion on European commercial and economic development; it is necessary to indicate the following:"
"The President of the Republic, Mr. Jose Maria Balcazar, regrets that those statements have generated a mistaken perception about the Jewish people in the context of the beginning of World War II."
"The Peruvian State has consistently stated that Nazi fanaticism was the cause of that war conflagration and responsible for the unforgivable genocide of the Jewish people. This historic position, which led Peru to firmly support the creation of the State of Israel, remains unchanged."
"The President, Mr. Jose Maria Balcazar, expresses his strongest rejection of the genocide committed against the Jewish people in the context of World War II, reiterates his condemnation of antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and expresses his solidarity with the Holocaust victims."