Lima Mayor Drops, Still Leads in Peru

Luis Castañeda Lossio is still the frontrunner in the early stages of Peru’s presidential race but he has lost support, according to a poll by CPI. 18.6 per cent of respondents would vote for the current Lima mayor in the 2011 ballot, down 8.3 points since March. Former left-wing presidential candidate Ollanta Humala is second with 16.9 per cent, followed by Keiko Sofía Fujimori—the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori—with 15.8 per cent. (Angus Reid Global Monitor - click here to read complete article)


Native Groups Protest Laws Facilitating Sales of Land

Defending the state of emergency declared in three provinces in Peru to crack down on protests by indigenous communities against a law facilitating the sale of their community-owned lands, Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo said the government was safeguarding "the rights of the great majority of Peruvians." Since Aug. 9, indigenous demonstrators have been demanding the repeal of two decree laws that promote private investment in their territory, and the reestablishment of a clause from the 1979 constitution -- which was replaced by the new constitution in 1993 -- which stated that communally owned land in indigenous territory could not be sold or embargoed. (IPS - click here to read complete article by Milagros Salazar)


Rotary Sunrise brings 'Smile' to isolated villages in Peru

With the assistance of Rotary Sunrise, Dr Bert Thacker, of Smile Dental Surgery in Grand Cayman, recently completed his third visit to Peru to treat children and adults living with no dentists in isolated villages along the Amazon. Dr Thacker, a Sunrise Rotarian, had the trip sponsored by Rotary Sunrise, who also provided its members as assistants at the clinics. (Cayman net news - click here to read complete article)


Odyssey Marine Exploration Welcomes Peru's Filing In "Black Swan" Case

Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc., the world leader in the field of deep-ocean shipwreck exploration, announced today that the Republic of Peru filed a motion in federal court in one of the company's pending admiralty cases. As anticipated after numerous statements in the media, Peru formally filed a Verified Conditional Claim in the "Black Swan" admiralty case, which was originally filed by Odyssey Marine Exploration. The case is currently pending before the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida. (Market Watch - click here to read complete press release)


Peru’s spectacular seabirds seeking sanctuary

Peru’s seabirds, especially the spectacular aggregations at its guano islands, are world famous. However, a new BirdLife report indicates that many of the sites and species are under increased threat and urgently need better protection. The new report - jointly published with the American Bird Conservancy - details the outcomes of a workshop held in Lima (Peru) last year entitled “Seabirds and Seabird-Fishery Interactions”. (Bird Life International - click here to read complete article)