Jairo Diaz still remembers what it was like living in Peru under the presidency of Alan Garcia, and he doesn't necessarily hold fond memories of those days. "We had to stand in line to buy bread, sugar, rice and other basic products," he recalls. To purchase milk for his 2-year-old daughter, Diaz claims he had to go to the black market. The Shining Path rebel movement flourished during the Garcia administration.He says not a day would go by without a terrorist attack, while the government did nothing to stop them. Now, Diaz — a journalist living in the United States — and millions of Peruvians like him will have to decide if Garcia deserves a ticket back to Peru's Presidential Palace. After weeks of speculation on who would face the front-runner in the runoff election, Garcia came out the victor with a margin of less than 1 percent over former conservative congresswoman Lourdes Flores, considered the candidate of the rich in a country where almost 60 percent of the population is poor. It would be easy to conclude that you'd have to be crazy to elect someone who led what many consider to be the worst government in the history of Peru. That is until you consider the other option: Ollanta Humala, a former military coup leader, accused of human-rights violations, who vows to do everything in his power to protect Peru from globalization, whose father — a self-declared Marxist — wants amnesty for jailed terrorists and whose mother thinks homosexuals should be killed. Having Garcia and Humala as the only presidential contenders is, as one Peruvian described it, like "picking between the electric chair and the gallows." But it should come as no surprise. In the past few years, nationalist candidates have been capturing the hearts and votes of Latin Americans as a response to corruption scandals involving neoliberal governments. It was people whose lives have not improved with free-market-minded administrations who elected Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia. In Peru, the lack of popularity of the outgoing president, Alejandro Toledo, contributed to Humala's rise to the top. His promises to give land to the poor, to create new health and education programs and to nationalize key industries made him the favorite among voters, even though he did not get the 50 percent needed to win in the first round of voting on April 9. Garcia benefited from a campaign geared at voters not old enough to remember the debacle of his first administration. He was only 36 years old when he was elected president in 1985. A popular, charismatic leader, known for having an impressive resume and enviable oratorical skills, Garcia became the youngest head of state in the region at the time. However, his popularity began to fade when his political decisions led to hyperinflation that reached over 7,000 percent, the per capita income of Peruvians fell to 1960s levels, and an extra 5 million people were added to the ranks of the poor. Since he left the presidency, he has been investigated for human-rights abuses and for taking millions of dollars in bribes. Although he has never been formally accused of any wrongdoing, the allegations forced him into exile for nine years. He now claims to be older and wiser, having learned from his mistakes. The latest polls show that Garcia could very well become Peru's next president, beating Humala handily. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's endorsement of Humala and his threat to break ties with Peru if Garcia is elected could have actually helped the veteran politician. As a journalist, Jairo Diaz will have to cover the election, scheduled for June 4. As a Peruvian citizen, though, he will be at a crossroads. Not voting is not a choice, since voting is obligatory in Peru, and citizens who don't vote are fined. For now, the choice for Peruvian voters is grim. Many will have to decide what is stronger: their dislike for Garcia or their fear of Humala.