New Peru leader may sanction brother for Russia talks

Peru’s president-elect Ollanta Humala said Sunday that if necessary he would slap penalties on his own brother, who conducted rogue gas deal talks in Russia without his consent.

“Do not doubt that there would be penalties, if needed,” Humala said in brief remarks to the press, adding that he was waiting to talk with his brother, Alexis, upon his return from Russia.

It emerged late last week that Alexis Humala was received in Moscow as his brother’s “special envoy” by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and top officials with Russian gas giant Gazprom.

The incoming leader had at the time been in Washington for talks with President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

On Friday Alexis Humala was suspended from the left nationalist party Gana Peru after details of the rogue meetings emerged.

Peru’s Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde said he only learned of the meetings from his counterpart in Moscow and Gazprom directors.

Leftist Ollanta Humala is set to take office after his July 28 inauguration, after beating conservative legislator Keiko Fujimori in last month’s election.