Jose Aliaga wants to run for congress in 2011, not in the United States, but his home country of Peru.
‘I think it would be good to have a guy with a Republican doctrine underneath him in South America,? said Aliaga. ‘I believe it is a time for a new movement, new ideas, and move forward with some of the things I’ve learned here.?
Aliaga said Latin America lately leans too far towards Socialism and Communism. Though many of the leaders promote ‘democracy,? Aliaga says when they become president, they remove constitution limits to pwer. An example is Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela.
‘With the Constitution of the United States, our President can only be president two times,” he said. “Chavez gets in office and he changes the constitution where he can be elected forever. They call it democracy, I call it dictatorship.?
Many have been misled about America and he wants to set the record straight, he said.
‘The United States is no enemy to the world. United States is a country of freedom, liberty, and equal opportunity. That’s something I learned here and I want to share with them,” he said. ‘Other aspects I learned here is the good of Capitalism, showing people they can better themselves.?
Many Latin America leaders set up political systems in which people are fully reliant on them, with no independence.
‘I believe that government should give opportunity, like for example, education. If you don’t have money here, you can get financial aid, you can get a grant, you can get a scholarship and they give you an opportunity to go to school and get educated,? Aliaga said. ‘Then you can get a better job and pay back the loan.?
Even though he sees people in the United States complain, Aliaga still sees equal opportunity for everyone.
‘Even kids from Detroit or Pontiac have the same opportunity as somebody in Clarkston because they can get the same treatment. They can get money, or financial aid to help them out,? he said. ‘Now it’s your choice if you want to take it, but you have the same opportunity.?
In Latin America, Aliaga says it’s different. If people don’t have money, they become ‘slaves to the government.?
He also believes government should promote family values because ‘family is the most important thing in society,? but he has seen a decline in marriage and more teen pregnancies.
‘I’m not saying cut liberty and rights, I’m saying promote and say this is the way it should be,? Aliaga said. ‘What we have is no family, no education and no values anymore.?
America has always been a country of innovative new ideas impacting the world as well as having leaders with vision.
‘The United States was the first country to give the right to vote to woman, the right to vote to African Americans and equality to everybody,? he said.
Aliaga said he would like Peru to have a vision, too.
‘The world is changing, we can see that, but there are a lot of good ways of America and a lot of good things going on. I want to take the good things I have learned here and I want to apply them there,? he said. ‘I want my country to be an example to other nations in Latin America and say ‘if these people did that, we can do that too.??
Aliaga moved from Peru to Clarkston in 2001 and has lived here with his wife, Alice, and step son Liam. He received his Associates Degree in Liberal Arts at Oakland Community College and is working towards his Bachlor’s Degree in Political Science at University of Michigan.
While living here is the United States, Aliaga has served as a development consultant to establish a free trade agreement between Peru and the United States, which includes natural resources and educational ideas, specifically with Wayne State University and Oakland Community College. He also is vice chairman of the Michigan Republican Hispanic Assembly.
Former Independence Township Trustee Dan Kelly, who has known Aliaga for the past two years, considers Aliaga a good friend and is very supportive of him.
‘Jose is one of those unique individuals who has identified a specific goal in life and that is to go back to Peru and hold elective office,? Kelly said. ‘From everything that I’ve seen he has devoted his entire life to doing that, usually people who do that accomplish their goal.?