Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

In an interview with the U.S. Ambassador to Peru, Peter Michael McKinley, El Comercio's Mariella Balbi asked the diplomat to comment on a series of domestic and international issues, including the U.S. financial crisis, its effects on Peru and a U.S. military base in the Andean country.

When asked how the U.S. financial crisis had begun, the U.S. Ambassador explained it had started with problems related to U.S. mortgages and had evolved into what it is now - the need for a $700 billion rescue plan.

He affirmed that different measures had been taken to face the crisis but that - as President Bush had stated - a more global response was needed.

Furthermore, McKinley stated the U.S. was not officially experiencing a recession, stating that while the crisis had affected financial institutions and had slowed down the economy, it was not known how deeply this would affect the country's citizens.

"The objective of the rescue plan is to keep the crisis from having an overall effect on U.S. citizens and the citizens of many other countries," said McKinley.

Stating that Latin American countries had diversified their markets and were in a good position to withstand changes in a global economy, McKinley confirmed Peru continued to grow.

"In Peru's case we've seen a growth rhythm near 9 percent, exportation to the U.S. increased over 30 percent and importation 50 percent," said the U.S. ambassador.

"It is estimated that trade between the two countries will reach $11 billion, last year it was less than $7 billion. Overall, there hasn't been an impact. There are sectors that will more or less be affected, which is normal."

After confirming that the U.S. government had no intention of establishing a military base on Peruvian soil, McKinley clarified that what was taking place in the region of Ayacucho was humanitarian aid.

With respect to protests held because of the presence of U.S. troops in the region, the diplomat stated it had been a small group and that U.S. troops had left the country after building three clinics, remodeling two schools and donating medical equipment.