Clean slate.

House arrest, extradition warrants, even Supreme Court rulings, nothing seems to deter former presidents in Latin America bent on clearing their name the best way possible: By hammering their political opponents into submission first. Here's a look at who's running despite the risks.

Clean Slate

Candidate        Charges               Status

Alberto Fujimod  Corruption and        Under arrest in Chile awaiting
(Peru)           crimes against        extradition. Campaigning
                 humanity              nonetheless via the press

Carlos Menem     Illegal arms deal,    Won a Senate seat, expected
(Argentina)      embezzlement          to take it Dec. 10 if no
                                       legal action blocks it.
                                       Serious charges dropped

Arnoldo Aleman   Money laundering,     Under a 20-year house-arrest
(Nicaragua)      corruption,           that has expanded to the size
                 embezzlement          of Managua, so far, yet
                                       guiding Nicaraguan politics
                                       just the same

Lucio Gutierrez  Threat to national    Under arrest after flying
(Ecuador)        security              home from Colombian asylum
                                       to claim control of
                                       government

Candidate        Quote

Alberto Fujimod  "It's my goal to stay temporarily
(Peru)           in Chile as part of the process of
                 my return to Peru."
                 (Reuters)

Carlos Menem     "I am honest and decent. I am, I
(Argentina)      would say, a leader among
                 Peronists, as both Peron and the
                 people would have it" (La
                 Gaceta)

Arnoldo Aleman   Daughter Maria Dolores Aleman:
(Nicaragua)      "If we wanted, we could run for
                 the presidency without amnesty,
                 since the sentence itself is, in the
                 first place, not solid." (El Nuevo
                 Diario)

Lucio Gutierrez  Referring to himself: "Lucio
(Ecuador)        Gutierrez should continue governing
                 honestly." (AP)