Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Today, Lima Downtown streets will be taken today by demonstrators from different backgrounds.

In the morning, the a march called “For The Equality Of Religions,” summoned by seven groups of Christian denominations, will to Peru's Congress in demand of the approval of a law that would guarantee the equality of economic rights to non-Catholic churches.

In the afternoon, a huge demonstration in support of the Amazonian natives protests will start at 3pm, and it is supposed to take the main downtown avenues, such us Colmena, Abancay an Emancipación.

We are publishing here a map showing the probably routes of today's demonstrations.
 


Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A collective which started as group created in Facebook, is calling everyone for a pacific demonstration this afternoon in the Limean district of Miraflores.

“As citizens concerned about peace and environment, we must tell our governments, the current one and the ones yet to come, that continuing with the present oil exploitation model is damaging the environment and our health, and our Amazon brothers' culture as well” states the group's manifesto in its Facebook page, which can be visited in this link.

This group has organized a pacific demonstration for today (Wednesday) at 6pm, at the Ovalo de Miraflores (Miraflores Roundabout), to express their wish for peace and development of clean alternative technologies in Peru.

For further information email erickgarciacerna@hotmail.com

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Although the general media has been focusing on the scant cases of AH1N1 flu in Peru, there is still very little coverage (with the exception of a few brave TV reporters such as Monica Cepeda) of the approximately 140 children who have died this year of pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a treacherous complication of the seasonal flu caused by the low temperatures in the Southern part of the country, especially in the Puno region.

According to Peru's Health Minister (Oscar Ugarte), the region with the highest death rate is Puno, followed by Cusco, Loreto and Huancavelica.

In Imata, a village located in Puno at 4,500metres over sea level, the temperatures recently dropped to -19°C (-2.2°F) and the winds were recorded blowing at up to 60kph.

Most families in these Puno and Cusco highlands make their living by farming, especially llamas and alpacas. But the extreme temperatures are killing even these strong animals, and causing acute respiratory infections (ARI's) among the children.

Since most of these children are chronically malnourished, they are very vulnerable to pneumonia, which can easily prove to be fatal.

Now, after a few very good TV reports on the matter, many Peruvians are expressing their willingness to help the children in the highlands. However, due to previous bad experiences, many people are uncertain as to the best way to get their donations to legitimate organizations.

There is a way in which Living in Peru readers can help.

Please join us in donating winter clothes to Caritas Felices Association, which will send a truck to Cusco and Puno with the items collected around the 20th of June.

If you have some old jackets, sweaters, hats, blankets, etc., cluttering up your closet space, now is the time to put these items to good use! We all have articles of clothing that we haven't used in years, why not donate these articles and maybe save a life in the process?

Donations can be taken during normal business hours (10AM-5PM) to:

-Condor Travel Agency (Armando Blondet 249, near Canaval y Moreyra in San Isidro).

-San Isidro: Ugarte y Moscoso 710 San Isidro (behind Salaverry Pharmax)

-Monterrico / La Molina: Las Amatistas 151 - dpto # 201, altura cdra. 7 Av. Circunvalación El Golf Los Inkas (in front of the club, next to the Vivero)

Money Donations can be made through:

Asociación Civil Sin Fines de Lucro Condor Travel- Wings accounts:

BBVA Continental Bank
SOLES            0011-0910-0100127897-75
DOLLARS      0011-0910-0100127889-72  

Living in Peru and the Children of Cusco and Puno thank you!

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Canadian International Development Agency  (CIDA Canada) has announced that Canada will support people in Southern Peru to acquire education and employment.

A part of Skills for Employment Initiative, this project aims to help developing countries by building a skilled workforce, necessary for economic growth.

The program, which will be implemented by the Rainbow of Hope for Children Society, will help 700 people from the District of Chincha Baja in Southern Peru through the rebuilding of the Centre for Occupational Education, destroyed in the 2007 earthquake, Marketwire reports.

These students, of whom 70% will be women, will acquire education and training in the fields of leadership, health education, money management, communications and job searching.

The Skills for Employment initiative is a key element of the Canadian Prime Minister's commitment to increase Canada's engagement in the Americas.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The first aircraft manufactured by Peru, designed to train pilots, will be presented Wednesday afternoon at the Second International Defense Technology Exhibition and Prevention of Natural Disasters (SITDEF) in Lima.

The plane is called Kuntur, in honor of the majestic Andean bird.

"It's the start of a race that will lead us to manufacture more sophisticated aircrafts," says one of the officers who worked on this project.

The exhibition will be opened today at 18:30 hours (23.30 GMT), and will be held from May 21 to 24 at the General Army Headquarters in San Borja district.

The Peruvian Air Force (FAP), one of the exhibitors, will show the high technology level that it has reached through its operating units like the Maintenance Service (Seman).

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

El Comendador de Caraveli (a pisco produced in Arequipa, Peru) was awarded a Silver Medal at the 16th edition of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2009, the most prestigious wine and spirits competition.

The contest was held on April 25th-27th in Valencia, Spain, gathering 54 producing countries in this edition.

A total of 250 experts coming from four continents reunited at the contest to blind taste, and to compare the 6289 wines and spirits participating in the competition.

El Comendador de Caraveli is produced by the Pisco and Wines Producers Association of Caraveli, an organization conformed by 17 small vine producers from the province of Caraveli in Arequipa region, southern Peru.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Under the new Rapid Renewal Program instituted by the U.S. Embassy in Lima, certain applicants for U.S. business and tourism visas may no longer be required to appear for a personal interview at the Embassy. 

These applicants are “Interview Exempt.”

Any Interview Exempt applicant who has not had impressions of all ten fingerprints taken at a prior visa interview will have to appear at the Embassy for fingerprints only, and will be able to leave after the fingerprints are taken. 

If an Interview Exempt applicant has already had impressions of all ten fingerprints taken at a prior visa interview, those prior fingerprints can now be re-used, so the applicant will not have to come to the Embassy at all, but may instead send all required documents to the Embassy via the DHL delivery service. 

The applicant’s passport and new visa will then be returned by DHL.

Find out more about the Rapid Renewal Program.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

Andina

Peru’s Production Minister Elena Conterno Martinelli will launch today the national "Buy From Peru" campaign in the city of Abancay (Apurimac) with the aim of encouraging people to support of domestic suppliers and producers by buying Peruvian products.

The ceremony will be held today (Thursday) at 13:15 hours (18:15 GMT) in Abancay’s main square, and will be attended by Apurimac’s governor, David Salazar Morote, as well as local authorities and entrepreneurs.

The “Buy from Peru” campaign has already been launched in the regions of Junin, Tumbes, Ucayali, La Libertad, Ayacucho, Lima, Cajamarca, Lambayeque, San Martin and Arequipa.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivingInPeru
Isabel Guerra

The official webpage supporting the candidacy of Lake Titicaca will launch on May 24th a second massive campaign calling for votes for Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon and Amazon River in the New Seven Wonders of Nature election.

This campaign will take place in the Peruvian cities of Arequipa, Tacna, Moquegua, Juliaca, Puno and Iquitos, as well as the Bolivian cities of La Paz, El Alto, Oruro, and Potosí.

"We are working with representatives from the regional government of Loreto and Autocolca in Arequipa -which support the Amazon River and Colca Canyon, respectively- to optimize our efforts," said Eugenio Rojas, mayor of Achacachi (Bolivia).

"In the first campaign we had over 185,000 votes and with the support of Peru we will achieve our desired goal until July 7," he added.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.