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Peru Declares State of Emergency Following Indigenous Protests
Peru’s government has declared a state of emergency in three northern provinces following nine days of protests by indigenous groups in the Amazon basin. Members of sixty-five Indian tribes are protesting a law that would make it easier for communal land to be sold to developers. The protests began when the Indians blocked an important natural gas installation and oil pipeline. Peru’s government has declared a state of emergency in three northern provinces following nine days of protests by indigenous groups i... more
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Showgirl Leysi Suarez apologizes for nude pictures on Peru's flag
Leysi Suarez, a Peruvian showgirl and dancer for Alma Bella band made international headlines when a naked picture of her on top of the Peruvian flag was published on the cover of a magazine.
News agencies from Reuters to the Associated Press covered the story while BBC News broadcast a report on the dancer's controversial picture.
While she initially affirmed there was nothing wrong with what she had done and stated she would do it again saying she loved Peru and would show it with her "body and soul", she has changed her mind and retracted her statements.
After Peru's Minister of Defense, Antero Flores-Araoz assigned the case to a public prosecutor and announced that charges would be pressed against Leysi, the Peruvian dancer has stated she is truly sorry.
"It was all Daysi's idea," said Leysi, blaming the woman in charge of 'D Farandula magazine.
Leysi explained she had nothing to do with the idea and was only hired to pose. "Everything was planned beforehand," said Leysi.
"If I have to apologize I will, I don't have any problem, I'll do it one thousand times," said the Peruvian showgirl.
"This experience will serve me to mature and not make the same mistake," said a concerned Leysi.
Reuters: Peru wants jail for nude woman who used flag as saddle
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKN2334...
Associated Press: Model irks officials for nude pose on Peru's flag
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gG8eosGWaDFXSl3XLF7l... Leysi Suarez, a Peruvian showgirl and dancer for Alma Bella band made international headlines when a naked picture of her on top of th... more -
Lima celebrates Peru’s Independence Day with over 2,000 liters of free Pisco
July 28th is Peru's independence day. Today marks the anniversary of their independence from Spain.
Over 2000 liters of pisco will flow from the fountain in the Plaza de Armas in historic downtown Lima for everyone to enjoy it.
Have a glass of Pisco Sour today in honor of Peru!
Pisco Sour recipes:
http://thespiritworld.net/2006/06/19/pisco_sour/ July 28th is Peru's independence day. Today marks the anniversary of their independence from Spain. ... more -
Consumer Protection Agency destroys one ton of Fake Medicine in Peru
Over one ton of adulterated medicine and empty pill and tablet containers were destroyed Monday evening by Peru’s agency for consumer protection and intellectual property rights (INDECOPI).
The fake medicine and empty containers were destroyed as a part of INDECOPI's campaign to make consumers aware of the importance of destroying expired medicine so it is not resold and used containers so they are not used again by criminals.
The consumer protection agency placed large bins in which people could leave their expired medicine or empty bottles at one hundred drug stores throughout Lima.
Concerned citizens in the districts of Lince, Magdalena, San Borja, Lima Cercado, Rímac, San Isidro, Breña, La Victoria, Surquillo, San Martín de Porres, and San Luis had the option of taking part in this campaign.
People living in La Molina, Magdalena, Callao, Pueblo Libre, San Miguel, Los Olivos, Independencia, Barranco, Salamanca, Ate, Santa Anita, San Juan de Lurigancho and La Punta also had collection bins placed in their pharmacies.
Once consumers had left expired medication or empty medicine containers at the pharmacies, INDECOPI picked them up and destroyed them.
The destroyed products were then buried so they could not be used again or resold. Over one ton of adulterated medicine and empty pill and tablet containers were destroyed Monday evening by Peru’s agency for consumer ... more -
PERU: Something Fishy About Imported Military Rations
LIMA, Jun 18 (IPS) - Army troops from Peru and the United States are fighting very different enemies in extremely different geographical areas. But now they are eating the same rations, purchased from the U.S.-based International Meal Supply company.
The purchase of imported rations for Peruvian troops in violation of a national law stipulating that local suppliers and products must be given priority in public tenders has triggered suspicions of corruption, since the imported Meals Ready to Eat or MREs are more costly than locally available rations.
The 5,000 troops deployed in the Apurimac and Ene river valleys, a southeastern jungle area known by the acronym VRAE, where large quantities of coca and cocaine are produced and where a remnant faction of the Maoist Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) guerrillas remains active, are fed the same rations eaten by U.S. troops in Iraq.
The decision to import the MREs was reached by Peruvian army commander General Edwin Donayre, because his men "should eat the best rations available in the world," IPS was told by a source in his office.
But the MREs prepared by International Meal Supply, based in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida, are much more expensive than those available on the local market.
Each imported ration will cost 3.27 dollars more than a locally prepared meal. The first purchase was for 50,000 rations, for which the state shelled out an extra 163,500 dollars.
When a second purchase of 50,000 rations was announced, which would bring the total additional expense to 327,000 dollars, the Defence Ministry asked for details on the operation and launched an inquiry, said ministry sources.
By contrast, the Peruvian navy, which has sent two special operations forces platoons to the VRAE to combat Sendero Luminoso, held a public tender, as required by law, and bought Peruvian field rations based on popular, widely consumed products at local market price.
But a navy source told IPS that they were "completely satisfied" with the rations purchased from a local company, and said "we have even had to turn over part of our rations to the army, because the ones they bought abroad hadn’t arrived yet."
The army source said SINTE did not request special kinds of meals for Peru, but explained that "we chose from their menus -- that is, the same thing eaten today by U.S. soldiers in Iraq."
Read the full article
By Ángel Páez
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42870 LIMA, Jun 18 (IPS) - Army troops from Peru and the United States are fighting very different enemies in extremely different geographic... more -
Peru mine protesters capture police
Thousands of demonstrators have overpowered riot police sent to break up a week-long blockade in a mining region in southern Peru. People in the town of Moquegua have been blocking roads to demand a greater share of taxes paid by the country's biggest copper producer for their area.
[Click image to watch video]
Police fired tear gas at the crowd, put at 20,000, who beat them back and took some 65 officers hostage.
"The situation in Moquegua is no longer under police control. I have wounded here and I am in trouble, so I urge police to draw back," a police chief, Alberto Jordan told the RPP radio station at the height of the violence.
Protesters argue that Peru's economic boom, largely the result of high mineral and commodity prices, is not benefiting them.
(BBC News - click to read complete article)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7458517.stm Thousands of demonstrators have overpowered riot police sent to break up a week-long blockade in a mining region in southern Peru. Peo... more -
Peru Protests intensify
Peruvians have marched in the capital Lima and other cities in defiance at the state of emergency announced by the embattled president last week.
Students, workers and teachers participated, carrying banners, whistles and saucepans.
In Lima, hundreds of helmeted riot police looked on at the protests, which correspondents say could be the biggest since President Alejandro Toledo took power two years ago.
A wave of strikes - some now in their fourth week - has thrust the unpopular president into perhaps his most serious crisis so far.
Workers are demanding wage increases President Toledo promised them during his election campaign, but which he has now agreed with the International Monetary Fund to shelve.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2961156.stm
Tanker ships carrying food and fuel had to be sent to Peru's southern regions on Friday because of protest that are not letting up in the region.
Thousands of miners and residents in the region of Moquegua blocked roads this week when it was announced that Southern Peru Copper cut some of the royalties the region normally received.
http://www.livinginperu.com/news-6685-transportation-pe... Peruvians have marched in the capital Lima and other cities in defiance at the state of emergency announced by the embattled president... more -
Electricity comes to Peruvian towns
In what has been dubbed "Electrification Week", President Alan Garcia has gone on a tour of the Andean country, inaugurating projects that are to provide electricity for Peru's most rural regions. People celebrated as they began to see the benefits of having electricity. 10 towns in Junin, 4,000 people in Huancavelica, 34 towns in the region of Piura, 13 establishments in La Libertad and 77 towns in Cusco will all benefit from having electricity. In what has been dubbed "Electrification Week", President Alan Garcia has gone on a tour of the Andean country, inaugurating... more
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Protests and strikes over mining in Peru
Laborers and the poor in the Andean country want a larger share of profits that mining companies are reaping from record prices for commodities. President Alan Garcia, whose approval ratings hover near 30 percent, is under pressure to make sure the benefits of a six-year economic boom reach the poor.
Peru is the world's leading silver producer, ranks second in copper and zinc, and fifth in gold, according to government data.
Striking workers at a base metals miner in southern Peru were in talks on Wednesday, aiming to end the walkout that started Tuesday.
"The strike continues, but there are talks going on with the Ministry of Labor," said Luis Castillo, secretary general of Peru's National Federation of Mining, Metallurgy and Steel Workers.
The workers walked out to back various demands.
Striking Workers At Peru's Cerro Verde Copper Mine In Talks
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewarticle+articl...
Protesters block roads at Southern Copper Peru
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUti...
Grenville Gold Cancels 1,277,220 Stock Options
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/ind...
Bear Creek, Rio Tinto amend Peru silver mine deal
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/06/11/ap5105267.htm...
Panoro Drills Zinc and Silver at the El Rosal Project, Peru
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=867309 Laborers and the poor in the Andean country want a larger share of profits that mining companies are reaping from record prices for co... more -
Obama for free trade deal with Peru, but against FTA with Colombia
US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said today he supports the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Peru, but is against signing a trade deal with Colombia.
“I approved the Free Trade Agreement with Peru, but I’m against an agreement with Colombia”, said Obama in an interview published by the Chilean journal “El Mercurio”.
He stated that he will maintain this position until he is sure that “no union leaders are being murdered in Colombia” and added that “we need to stop these types of paramilitary activities”.
The presidential candidate said that the FTA between his country and Peru is the type of agreement needed because it respects workers' rights and the environment.
On the other hand, Obama regards Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez, as a “manageable threat” for his country’s security and he will be open for dialogue with Venezuela and Cuba if elected president.
Furthermore, Obama acknowledged that he had not been to Latin America, but said he would like to visit the region before the elections.
News source: ANDINA
http://www.livinginperu.com/news/ US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said today he supports the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Uni... more -
US Marines and troops to Carry Guns and be fully armed in Peru
Lima, (Prensa Latina) The Peruvian government tacitly admitted the possibility that the US troops to be deployed in the central region of Ayacucho fight irregular forces acting in the area.
Defense Minister Antero Flores-Araoz tried to justify that foreign troops carry assault rifles, responding to criticisms by opposition Peruvian Nationalist Party (PNP) leader Ollanta Humala, who recalled that according to the law, only Peruvian soldiers can carry such weapons within the country.
The minister told Andina news agency that the presence of armed groups in the Ayacucho region may force US soldiers to carry guns for their own protection.
The government has stated that foreign troops are coming to construct water wells and classrooms.
Humala noted that such mission does not justify American soldiers carrying guns. He pointed out that Peruvian engineers and constructors can do those works.
The entry of US troops to Peru was approved by he ruling party and conservative groups in Congress, which also accepted the entrance of military groups to Ayacucho between last May and next September.
The PNP parliamentary group has denounced that the government and most of legislative majority had passed some 30 entry permissions for US soldiers between 2007 and this year.
They fear it might be related to the possibility of creating a US military base in Peruvian territory.
http://poorbuthappy.com/peru/forum/28/ Lima, (Prensa Latina) The Peruvian government tacitly admitted the possibility that the US troops to be deployed in the central region... more -
70 - 80 motorists in Peru switch to natural gas daily
Over 35,000 motorists in Peru have installed a natural gas tank in their vehicle and equipped it to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), reported El Comercio daily on Monday.
With each passing day this number increases, said El Comercio. An estimated 70 to 80 people have a natural gas tank installed in their vehicle every day, thus, giving them the option to choose between gasoline and CNG.
Why choose natural gas? "it contaminates less," said El Comercio, explaining natural gas emitted 97 percent less toxic gases than conventional fuels.
Furthermore, the daily explained that motorists who chose to use gasoline were contaminating the environment 32 times more than people that used natural gas.
The daily quoted the new minister of health Antonio Brack and advised citizens to consider their health, assuring that 13,000 Peruvians died every year because of air pollution.
Upon listing the advantages of CNG, the daily added that it was 70 percent cheaper than gasoline and 50 percent under the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
On the other hand, it was reported that there needed to be more CNG fueling stations to meet the demand of rising natural gas motorists.
There are currently 33 natural gas stations in Lima, Peru
http://www.livinginperu.com/news-6640-miningenergy-70-8... Over 35,000 motorists in Peru have installed a natural gas tank in their vehicle and equipped it to run on compressed natural gas (CNG... more -
Yahoo! Inc. launches new Internet site in Peru
Yahoo! Inc., a leading global Internet company, today announced that it has launched sites in four new markets in Latin America.
The new sites consist of Yahoo! Chile www.yahoo.cl, Yahoo! Peru www.yahoo.com.pe, Yahoo! Colombia www.yahoo.com.co and Yahoo! Venezuela www.yahoo.com.ve and will include Yahoo! Home Pages, Search, Mail, Messenger, Answers, and Toolbar among other popular Yahoo! content and products.
"Yahoo! has always been popular among Internet users in Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. Today we are excited to be able to provide these users with locally relevant versions of Yahoo! services as well as introduce a new generation of users to the broader Yahoo! online community," said Jose Rivera Font, vice president and general manager, Yahoo! Hispanic Americas.
"At the same time, these new Yahoo! home pages will provide local advertisers a targeted means for reaching their customers by using leading-edge technologies and innovative marketing solutions."
Yahoo! Colombia http://co.yahoo.com/
Yahoo! Peru http://pe.yahoo.com/
Yahoo! Venezuela http://www.ve.yahoo.com/
Yahoo! Chile http://cl.yahoo.com/
http://www.livinginperu.com/news-6637-tech-internet-yah... Yahoo! Inc., a leading global Internet company, today announced that it has launched sites in four new markets in Latin America. ... more -
U.S. Marines in Peru - Photo of the day
The USS Boxer, a San Diego based ship, with a group from a Marine Regiment has arrived to Peru to take part in a ["]humanitarian mission["] that is to clean rubble left by the magnitude-8 earthquake on August 15 [2007]. The USS Boxer is to be in Peru for at least 10 days while 120 U.S. medical personnel aboard the ship treat up to 600 people per day. The team will also visit poor communities north of Lima to fix schools and donate medical equipment.
[US Marines cleaning up rubble almost a year after an earthquake?]
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BPZ to drill off Peru - Maple Energy to drill 22 wells - Union delays strike
Houston-based BPZ Energy has received clearance from Peruvian environmental regulators to transport oil from its CX-11 platform offshore Peru to the nearby Talara refinery. The company's transport barge, loaded with around 30,000 barrels of crude oil, is now on its way to Talara, delivering its first shipment since production restarted in May 2008.
(Energy Current - click to read complete article)
http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=2&storyid...
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Maple Energy to Drill 22 Development Wells at Peru Oil Fields
Maple Energy Plc, the London-listed oil explorer with operations in Peru, said it plans to drill 22 development wells in the South American country. Work will begin in the third quarter, the company said in a statement distributed by the Regulatory News Service today. The wells will be as deep as 2,000 feet (610 meters) and are expected to produce an additional 385 barrels a day of oil from the Maquia and Agua Caliente fields.
(Bloomberg - click to read complete article by Will Kennedy)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/newspid=20601086&sid=...
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Peru mining union postpones nationwide strike until June 30
Peru's largest mining union has postponed a nationwide strike until June 30 to allow lawmakers to debate a measure that would increase profit sharing for miners, according to Dow Jones Newswires. Some 28,000 miners will walk off the job if Congress does not pass a law scrapping a ceiling on profit sharing, introduce a law regulating retirement and end company outsourcing, the article reports.
(Resource Investor - click to read complete article by Jon Nones)
http://www.resourceinvestor.com/pebble.asp?relid=43447 The USS Boxer, a San Diego based ship, with a group from a Marine Regiment has arrived to Peru to take part in a ["]humanitarian ... more -
Peruvian websites expose HAARP
A major 8.0 - Magnutiude Earthquake hit Peru one year ago. The event was a major disaster in modern Peruvian history. 337 people died and 1350 were injured. Mobile phone service was disrupted by the quake.
These videos reveal large flashes in the sky, which occured before and during the earthquake.
HAARP is a US military program which opperates by transmitting energy into the ionosphere, charging naturally occuring electromagnetic currents, which in turn can be used to focus energy into a specific region of the atmosphere, heating it, and creating a "plasma sheild,"
This can be used for national protection, or it can be used to disrupt enemy communications, create localized weather changes, or even penetrate energy into the earth's crust, causing localized earthquakes.
When HAARP is in use, the sky is lit up with bright lights and flashes. In daytime it can look like rainbow clouds or can even resemble the Auroral Borealis.
HAARP stands for High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program.
(they call it a research program, but actually it can be used as a WMD
for more info about HAARP -
http://current.com/topics/88506361_haarp
Keep updated with hourly earthquake updates -
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/
en Español -
http://la-otra-verdad.blogspot.com/2007/08/terremoto-en...
http://mamanga.blogspot.com/2007/08/haarp-en-peru.html
http://www.punto-rojo.org/foro/index.php?topic=2582.0
http://www.takeforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7&si... A major 8.0 - Magnutiude Earthquake hit Peru one year ago. The event was a major disaster in modern Peruvian history. 337 people died... more -
Many Earthquakes hit South America
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit the coast of central Peru, early Friday morning, miles from the capital city, Lima. There have been an alarming number of earthquakes in Peru this year.
The Orange squares show where earthquakes have taken place today. Notice the 4.8 earthquake in Puerto Rico.
The yellow squares represent other earthquakes this week. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit the coast of central Peru, early Friday morning, miles from the capital city, Lima. There have been an... more -
3/4 of Peruvian Amazon leased for oil extraction
"It is a familiar story. Big business moves into a pristine wilderness and starts destroying the environment and by turn the livelihoods of the indigenous people who live there. But in a reversal of plot, there are now cases of people living traditional lifestyles who are now invading the territory of the big companies and taking them on at their own game.
The story of the Achuar tribe living in the Amazon rainforest of north-eastern Peru is one of them. The oil bonanza began in Peru almost 40 years ago when many foreign companies were given an open invitation by successive governments to test and drill in the Amazon. What they did not consider was the devastating impact it would have on the native people, principally the Achuar - their land, their livelihood and their health.
The Achuar’s spiritual leader, Tomas Maynas, wears a bright red headdress made of toucan feathers, and has red war paint streaked on his face. He is the plaintiff in the suit against the company. He remembers how everything changed when the oil companies arrived. He says the animals ran away, the fish died and their crops started to wilt.
“The Peruvian state just wants to extract as much oil as they can from our land. They’ve made millions of dollars but we haven’t seen it here. We know there’s wealth here and there’ll be more drilling so the state will keep on killing us. But sometimes, when there is pressure, the state gives in.”
President Alan Garcia has proposed privatising large areas of the rainforest, but local officials say the government in Lima does not understand the impact this would have.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/24/7845/ "It is a familiar story. Big business moves into a pristine wilderness and starts destroying the environment and by turn the live... more -
Calls to leave 'new' Amazon tribe alone
"An Australian-based linguist says the less we know about one of South America's uncontacted indigenous tribes, the better it is for them. A photographer aboard a helicopter has snapped a picture of the tribe, who shun contact with the outside world, in a remote part of the Amazon on the border between Brazil and Peru.
LaTrobe University professor Alexandra Aikhenvald says contact with white people has not brought much good to Indigenous tribes in history so far.
"My reaction is excitement because it is always extremely interesting to see new peoples being discovered," she has told ABC's The World Today. "But I think they would be extremely scared [after seeing the helicopter]. They may just leave because they may have this idea that is some sort of gigantic bird that wants to engulf them all or that it is some sort of invaders or anything like that. If anyone might want to establish any contact with them, I don't think they should fly helicopters. They should probably just approach them very carefully and proceed with extreme caution and care."
Prof Aikhenvald strongly doubts the tribe has never had contact with white people, but says it is not impossible.
"Many of them had contact with white people at different times in the past [but] basically in the 19th Century and then during the rubber boom, many of them just fled," she said.
"Maybe they are descendants of those groups that fled from white supremacy maybe 100 or more years ago. So they may not have any recollections of contact with white people. They may not be really forthcoming to tell us, but in actual fact they're just hiding or they have been in hiding for many, many years."
I JUST THINK IT'S COOL THAT THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF THINGS WE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IN THE WORLD. "An Australian-based linguist says the less we know about one of South America's uncontacted indigenous tribes, the better i... more -
Oil development threatens biodiversity in Peru
Oil and gas reserves are found in some of the most ecologically sensitive areas of Peru, such as the Amazon and Pacific Ocean. Whereas some of these areas were too costly to access in the past, the current high prices of oil and gas now justify exploration. The delicate balance between hydrocarbon exploration and drilling, and conservation of critical ecosystems can only be achieved by establishing strict and specific environmental conditions for resources, including strengthening national regulatory frameworks and ensuring benefits and compensations for the affected areas and the people who live near them.
As Peru modernizes and expands its economy, new foreign companies are increasingly interested in the country and its potential oil-gas resources to meet the international demand for low-cost oil and gas products. For conservation organizations, it is necessary to find a firm voice for biodiversity conservation issues within Peru, and to achieve a balance between the potential threats posed by oil and gas and the opportunities to use financial resources for conservation efforts.
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/southamerica/peru/fea... Oil and gas reserves are found in some of the most ecologically sensitive areas of Peru, such as the Amazon and Pacific Ocean. Whereas... more -
Peru's Amazon oil deals denounced
Environmental and human rights group in Peru have denounced the government's campaign to auction off large swathes of the Amazon to oil and gas companies.
They say the amount of Peruvian Amazon territory open to exploration has risen from 13% to 70% in two years.
They say this is putting at risk the biodiversity of the Amazon and the lives of indigenous people.
Peruvian President Alan Garcia has said the plans are part of his investment programme to tackle widespread poverty.
By Dan Collyns
BBC News, Lima
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6326741.stm Environmental and human rights group in Peru have denounced the government's campaign to auction off large swathes of the Amazon ... more
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