Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru's Prime Minister Javier Velásquez Quesquén said that if the Venezuelan politician Didalco Bolívar asks Perú for political asylum, his request will be submitted to the Foreign Relationships Ministry for evaluation.

"Our country respects democracy and its institutions, such as the right to asylum; but we also have to take into account the elements of bilateral relationships in the region," he said.

Later on, Peru's Chancellor, José García Belaunde, said that "he was not aware" of Bolivar's alleged entry into Peruvian territory.

Reportedly, Bolívar, a former ally of Hugo Chávez, is currently in Lima, looking for legal advice in order to file an oficial request of political asylum.

The request has not been presented yet, informed the Peruvian Chancellery. Bolívar has been accused in Venezuela of acts of corruption while he was governor of Aragua State (1995-2008).

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde said that Peru and Brazil “have similar political views," and that both countries would try to find measures to ease the suspicion and fear of Colombia's neighbor countries about the new Colombian-U.S. Agreement.

This agreement, that has made several countries in the region to express their concerns, will allow US access to Colombian military bases by the year 2019, and in return, Washington would offer Bogota some 5 billion U.S. dollars in aid.

According to Andina news agency, the agreement allows the US the access to Colombian military bases, and in return, the US would offer some US $5 billions in aid.

In addition, Garcia Belaunde said that Peru and Brazil would also support the proposal made by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias to find a solution to the Honduran crisis.

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Andina

The bilateral integration and relationship between Brazil and Peru are “exceptional”, said Friday Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, after signing several agreements with his Peruvian counterpart Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde within the framework of his official visit to Lima.

During a press conference, Amorin said he was "surprised" how quickly integration measures were performed after the signing of pre-agreements to boost sectors and activities in border regions.

“Regarding cross-border cooperation, I am surprised how fast things have changed, taking into account the agreement was signed three or four months ago, and it is usual to wait a year or a year and a half until government agencies are ready to act," he said.

The head of the Brazilian diplomacy also highlighted the ongoing progress on issues such as air communication, trade, and the joint fight against crime.

"The integration has made exceptional progress at a strategic operational level (association or partnership),” he said during a Friday press conference where he was accompanied by Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde.

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Andina

Many border development projects were signed today by international cooperation agencies from Brazil and Peru in order to boost sectors like agriculture, aquaculture, natural resources exploitation, and health strategy.

Peru's International Cooperation Agency (APCI) welcomed the mission chaired by Minister Marco Farani, head of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, gathered for the signing ceremony.

The executive director of Peru's International Cooperation Agency (APCI), Carlos Pando Sanchez, said the cooperation agreements are the result of coordinated work of both countries to promote the border region development.

One of the agreements, signed by both countries at Peru’s Foreign Ministry facilities, aims to strengthen capacities for improvement of latex production in Madre de Dios region.

The agreements were signed within the framework of the official visit to Lima paid by the Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister, Cesar Amorim, who will hold a meeting tomorrow with his Peruvian counterpart José Antonio García Belaunde.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Now that Karen Schwarz, the current Miss Peru Universe, used an outfit inspired in the “Devils' Dance” costume as a Peruvian typical dress during the gala held by the beauty contest in Bahamas, the Bolivian Culture Ministry Pablo Groux, informed that Bolivia “will oppose to the Peruvian's representative participation in the contest.”

But that's not all; Groux also said that his government is planning to file a lawsuit in international courts, such as The Hague, the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and the World Organization of Intellectual Property.

Among some more reasons, he stressed that “La Diablada (Devil's Dance) has been already registered by Bolivia as a part of the Oruro's Carnival cultural heritage,” adding that the legal process will be started by the Bolivian authorities currently stationed in Peru.

Meanwhile, some Bolivian groups have posted in Youtube videos of Miss Bolivia Universo 1990, Rosario Rico Toro, wearing the Devils' Dance costume.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru’s president Alan García received his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe, at the Honor Courtyard of the Government Palace in Lima, where both leaders will hold a working meeting.

Uribe is visiting Peru in order to discuss issues such as terrorism in Colombia and assess its risks for the region,l as well as matters related to Unasur.

The Colombian President is starting this tour (that will lead him to several countries) in Lima, accompanied by the Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermúdez.

He will also meet the presidents of Chile, Michelle Bachelet; Brazil, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva; and Paraguay, Fernando Lugo.

It is worth noting that this is not an official visit, and this is why he did not have the official ceremonial for presidents.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian Chancellor Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde telephoned his Chilean counterpart Mariano Fernandez, to explain him that Garcia's Government “has absolutely nothing to do with” the alleged case of spionage to Chilean military.

Fernandez announced this to the media today, pointing out at the fact that, as Garcia Belaunde had explained, these events “took place in 2004, before President Alan García took office."

The Chilean Chancellor also said that Garcia Belaunde's explanation “sounds reasonable,” and that his government is at present waiting for the results of the investigations in Lima.

Chilean press had reported that the Peruvian security company Business Track, owned by the former Navy Officer Elias Ponce, had been spying on Chilean high-rank officers.

The Peruvian Ambassador in Santiago, Carlos Rios Young, contacted the Chilean Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Alberto van Klaveren, to give Peru's official explanation on this matter.

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Andina

Peruvian President Alan Garcia said  that he hoped the country's ties with Bolivia could be normalized.

"We have to normalize the ties," Garcia said, "I think there are many things that unite us."

Garcia said Peru has "never taken an anti-trade or anti-national measure against Bolivia, (like) closing borders or expelling Bolivian citizens."

The Peru-Bolivia ties were strained in May when Lima gave political asylum to three former Bolivian government ministers accused of genocide.

Bolivia's President Evo Morales even threatened to sue Peru in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Garcia said that Peru is open for discussions over the extradition of the three ministers who served in former Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez's government.

"Everything can be done under the law, under the internal and international procedures," Garcia said as quoted by Xinhua news agency.

Garcia said that Peru and Bolivia share a lot of common interests, and both will benefit from bilateral trade and mutual investment.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Chilean newspaper El Mercurio reports today that the Chile Air Forces (FACh) has been investigating (for a month now) an alleged case of espionage to four FACh officers.

According to Peruvian newspaper El Comercio, the aforementioned Chilean officers might have been spied by Business Track, a Peruvian company which General Manager is the retired naval officer Manuel Ponce Feijoo.

Feijoo is currently under trial in Peru, facing charges of industrial, commercial and politic espionage, actions that might have included telephonic and electronic interception to businessmen, public officers and even Peru's President Alan García.

El Mercurio remarks that Ponce Feijoo was Peru's Naval Attaché in Chile between 1997 and 2000, and that he established friendly relationships with Chile's Army Commander in Chief at that time, Jorge Arancibia.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The typical costume that that Karen Schwarz, Miss Peru Universe, is supposed to wear during the beauty pageant to take place in Bahamas on August 23rd, is causing at present a bitter controversy between Peru and Bolivia.

As soon as Schwarz announced that her outfit was inspired in a typical dance from Puno highlands called “La Diablada” (The Devils' dance), Bolivian representatives alleged that La Diablada “is an emblematic dance from Bolivian folklore.”

Bolivia claims that this would be an unfair appropriation of the Bolivian's cultural heritage.

Pablo Groux, Bolivian Minister of Culture, has reportedly sent a letter to Peru's National Institute of Culture (INC), expressing Bolivian's concern regarding to this matter.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde said: "The Highlands cultures are one. If Miss Schwarz is Peruvian, she has the right to wear the 'Diablada' dress.”

Ricardo Davila, the designer, was surprised too, and said “we have not copied the Bolivian diablada. My costume is based on a dance from Puno.”

INC representatives said that "the dance of diablada is performed during festivities in Peru, Chile and Bolivia as well, since it's a cultural expression from the Andean highlands."

This dance was declared Peruvian's Cultural Heritage by the INC on September 2nd, 2003.

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