Peru ratifies free trade pact with U.S.

In a 79-14 vote with six abstentions, the 120-member legislature approved the bilateral deal reached between Peru and Washington late last year and signed in April by President Alejandro Toledo's government.

Photo: Peru ratifies free trade pact with U.S.

The ratification received the full backing of President-elect Alan Garcia's 28-member Aprista party bloc.

Toledo's administration lobbied fiercely for ratification before Garcia is sworn in July 28 along with a new Congress, which will have a strong anti-free-trade bloc led by Ollanta Humala, who lost the June 4 presidential runoff to Garcia.

About two hours into the debate, several legislators-elect from Humala's nationalist alliance punched and kicked their way past security guards to gain the floor of Congress, pumping their fists in the air, waving placards and chanting anti-free-trade slogans, the AP reports.