In the presidential election of June 2006, he received 45.5 % of the vote – not enough to defeat Alan García, but sufficient to show how deeply he had tapped into the hopes and trust of many Peruvians. At that time, populism seemed an unstoppable force in Latin America.
乌马拉并不属于依靠魅力和运气取胜的新秀政客。2006年6月的总统选举中他得到了45.5 %的选票——虽然不足以击败阿兰·加西亚，但却足以证明他承载了众多秘鲁人的信任和希望。当时的民粹主义似乎在拉美形成了一股不可阻挡的力量。在石油繁荣及庞大社会开支的推动下，查韦斯在年纪渐长但却依然活跃的菲德尔·卡斯特罗的祝福和支持下展翅飞翔。