The president of the Chamber of the Footwear, Leather and Allied Trades of Peru (CCCAP), Romulo Fernandez, has complained he has been the victim of intimidation by a company involved with anti-dumping charges.

Peruvian industry has been decimated by the dumping of cheap imports in recent years, especially footwear, and following a campaign by the CCCAP, several companies are now facing charges from the government’s anti-corruption commission.

Mr Fernandez alleges that he has been the victim of intimidation by Empresas Comerciales and says he will supply evidence supporting these claims to the authorities. The company has separately filed a $1 million lawsuit against the CCCAP president for slander after an interview he gave following a meeting with SUNAD (customs) when he revealed he had seen proof of dumping by another company, Inversiones Dinamicas.

In a statement issued by the CCCAP, Mr Fernandez said: "we will not give up this fight and we will not be intimidated by the big interest of some importers. We will show the evidence we have in the form of documents and blow the lid off corruption which has caused thousands of factories to close down leaving almost 500,000 fellow-countrymen and women unemployed".