Peru's Garcia promises 6 percent growth if elected to third term

Alan Garcia in Lima July 28, 2011. REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's former president Alan Garcia kicked off his campaign for a third term with a promise to deliver economic growth of at least 6 percent per year through more public works and mining investments.

Garcia, a towering figure known as a one of the Spanish-speaking world's best orators, told his supporters in a sports stadium it would be easy to achieve such high growth rates, even as a commodities slump has knocked Peru's key mineral exports and dragged on growth during President Ollanta Humala's administration.