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Peru: Lima universtiy students riot & destroy construction work

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Claiming their rights are being violated and that it is necessary to establish a new contract with the municipality of Lima, students from the University of San Marcos continue to protest the construction of a bypass next to and on university grounds.

They took to the streets of Lima on Thursday, marching towards the country's congressional offices.

Thousands of students marched through the streets of downtown Lima demanding authorities cease construction work in and around the university.

Motorists and pedestrians showed their displeasure as the dean of the university and his students blocked off some of the capital's main streets.

Protests did not end with the march, however. Students began to destroy what constructions workers had built on Thursday evening, making workers angry and sparking a battle between the two groups.

At least 15 students were injured as construction workers responded by throwing rocks and Peru's national police began firing tear gas.

It was reported that one of the worst injuries was a student that had to receive 15 stitches after a rock hit him in the head.

Riots broke out in May as construction workers from the Municipality of Lima began working much closer to the university.

They were controlled but began once again early this week when students arrived to the university and found that one of their walls had been demolished.

The municipality has assured that this was part of a contract signed between municipal authorities and the university, explaining that agreements were reached months and in some cases years ago.

The municipality has also affirmed a new wall is to be built within 20 days.

The Municipality of Lima has stated that construction work will not stop and requested that Peru's national police provide the necessary security.

The University of San Marcos, the oldest officially established university in the Americas, agreed to grant the Municipality of Lima 28,000 square meters (301,389 square feet) of land for the construction of the new bypass.

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Peru's police seize twice as many illegal drugs in 2008 than 2007

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Peru's Minister of the Interior, Luis Alva Castro announced on Wednesday that the quantity of drugs confiscated in 2008 would be more than double what was seized in 2007.

Alva Castro affirmed that by the end of 2008, Peru's national police will have taken approximately 40 tons (40,000 kilograms) of illegal narcotics from criminals across the country.

The interior minister reported that in the first semester of 2008, over 17 tons of illegal drugs had been confiscated and destroyed.

He noted that this was almost the total amount of drugs seized in all of 2007.

He assured that the central government's anti-drug policies had played a key role in the destruction of illegal coca fields.

Alva Castro explained that there wee only 400 hectares remaining in the jungle region of San Martin, a region where coca leaves are still cultivated.

Furthermore, Alva Castro reported that over 160,000 hectares of land in Peru's jungle no longer produced illegal coca leaves but were being used to grow crops.

"Almost 40 percent of Huallaga's economy depended on coca. Now it's only 7 percent," said the minister.

When reporting on 2007 achievements, Alva Castro stated that not only had 20 tons of drugs been destroyed during that year but also 1,020 tons of chemicals used to produce drugs had been seized.

He added that 33 money-laundering cases worth hundreds of millions of dollars had been handed over to Peruvian courts in 2007.

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Fugitive police escort captured in northern Peru

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

After months of harsh criticism and claims of ineffective police work, Peru's national police finally captured the fugitive former police escort known as "Lady B".

Lady Bardales Castillo, a Peruvian policewoman that worked for former president Alejandro Toledo, was captured in a residential district in the northern region of Lambayeque, reported CPN Radio.

It was reported that the former police escort, who provided security for Alejandro Toledo's wife, was found and arrested by police between 4:30 and 5 a.m. in a residential area in Pimentel, a district located in the province of Chiclayo.

The head of Peru's national police, Octavio Salazar explained that police intelligence found Bardales residing with family members and affirmed that she had not put up a struggle while being arrested.

A warrant for her arrest was issued in November 2007 when Bardales did not show up for her sentencing.

She was to be sentenced for illegal enrichment charges but did not appear in court twice, claiming she was sick the first time and disappearing without a trace the second.

Bardales, who has been accused by media of having had an affair with Toledo, was charged with illegal enrichment when she could not demonstrate how she had purchased real estate and was maintaining a lifestyle that was out of the range of a police officer's salary.

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Peru: Vladimiro Montesinos states he will not answer more questions

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Shortly after declaring that former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori was not responsible for the massacre of civilians at a barbecue and university students from La Cantuta University, former spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos announced that he would make no further statements.

Upon arriving to the court where Fujimori was being tried, Vladimiro Montesinos clarified that he was not obligated to testify and could exercise his right to remain silent.

The former head of the country's intelligence agency stated he was willing to cooperate, however.

He set certain conditions when being questioned and affirmed he would only answer what he felt was pertinent to the case.

When he was finished testifying, Vladimiro Montesinos stated that he would not say another word and wanted to be taken back to his holding cell at the naval base in Callao - where he has been held for the past seven years.

He stated he would not return to testify during Fujimori's trial again.

Montesinos assured he would only testify on his behalf during his trial and stated that if lawyers wanted to use those transcripts they were welcome to do so.

In his concluding statements Montesinos said, "From this moment forward I will not answer any more questions".

Ronald Gamarra, a lawyer present at the trial claimed that Montesinos had come to "clear Fujimori" and then leave. He affirmed he was upset Montesinos had decided not to answer questions from other lawyers.

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Peru: Vladimiro Montesinos assures Fujimori is innocent

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Vladimiro Montesinos, the former head of Peru's National Intelligence Service during the 1990s, testified Monday morning that he and ex-President Alberto Fujimori were not involved in the death squad killings Fujimori is on trial for.

The former Peruvian president, who is facing up to 30 years in jail, is on trial for ordering two death squad massacres that left 25 people dead.

Upon arriving to court, the former spy chief affirmed that he would not plea for the right to remain silent. He assured that he could legally remain silent if he wished to do so.

On the other hand, Montesinos affirmed that he would not testify about anything that happened before 1991 or anything that occurred after 1992.

While many have looked forward to the former security chief's testimony since Fujimori's trial began last year - many claiming his statements would be key in the trial against Fujimori - Cesar Nakazaki, the former president's lawyer assured last week that he was not worried about Montesinos' testimony because he was not in charge of military intelligence.

Montesinos assured on Monday that Fujimori had "no responsibility" for the death of innocent civilians at a barbecue as well as the kidnapping and murder of several university students.

The former head of the country's national intelligence agency, now 63 years old, is currently serving a 20-year sentence for illegally selling weapons to rebels in Colombia.

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Peru's historic Clasico may be canceled after sport's fan shot and killed

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

The rivalry between fans of Peru's top football clubs escalated to a higher level on Wednesday when a 22-year-old man was shot and killed as he made his way to an Universitario match.

Daniel Blanco and seven of his friends were shot on Wednesday as they headed towards a soccer match that was to be played by Universitario de Deportes and Sporting Cristal, the Andean country's highest ranked football clubs at the moment.

As police attempt to find the murderer, many have speculated that it was the member of a gang that represents Alianza Lima, another well-known football club in Peru.

Of the eight people that were shot, Daniel is the only one that was killed.

Two fourteen year olds, one fifteen year old, two seventeen year olds, one eighteen year old and a twenty year old were all wounded and had to be taken to the hospital after a man on the back of a motorcycle opened fire on them.

Because extremely large crowds of fans are formed to walk to matches, Peruvian police escort them to maintain delinquents under control.

This has surprised authorities even further. The eight men were shot in the presence of police escorts.

Due to the long and historic rivalry between Alianza Lima and Universitario de Deportes as well as the violence at matches known as "Clasicos", authorities are currently discussing the possibility of canceling Sunday's football match.

It was reported that a decision is to be made by 6 p.m. on Friday.

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Peru man accused of killing EU-LAC police escort released from jail

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Edisón Tejada Bravo, a 38-year-old tourism van chauffeur that was accused of running over a female police officer during this year's EU-LAC summit, is to be released from jail.

A Peru court ordered Tejada's release on Wednesday.

Lisandro Díaz Vigo, the other man involved in the tragic accident did not have such luck, however.

The court ordered that the 59-year-old taxi driver remain in jail while the case is being tried.

The two men were arrested and immediately detained in May after Peruvian police officers accused them of involuntary manslaughter and hit and run.

Prosecutors in Peru pressed charges on the two men after police officers blamed them for the death of Lady Anaya, a 22-year-old police officer riding with the Bolivian motorcade during the 5th EU-LAC summit.

Despite the testimonies of two witnesses in favor of the taxi driver and the release of a video that shows Anaya losing control of her motorcycle after she ran into the back of Díaz' cab, the 59-year-old man is to remain in police custody.

It is known that Anaya did not have any previous experience being a police escort.

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Central Reserve Bank of Peru robbed of 1.75 million soles

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Representatives from the Central Reserve Bank of Peru filed charges after 1.75 million soles, which were brought from Europe by a shipping company, came up missing.

The metallic container, which was brought to Peru with another three containers, arrived to Callao port on June 21.

It was brought to the Andean country on the Libra Santa Catarina - a Liberian ship.

When the containers were going to be unloaded, a worker noticed that one of them had been opened.

Peru's National Police have not been able to establish exactly when the container was opened. The Peruvian money was brought to the country from France.

It was reported that the 1.75 million soles were all in 50-sol bills.

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Colombian bank robbers offer Peru police $20,000 to let them go

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Agents from a special forces unit of Peru's national police caught four criminals in the Lima district of La Victoria on Monday as they were preparing to rob a bank.

The delinquents were all from Colombia and were responsible for a series of thefts as well as several armed robberies in the country's capital.

One of their many victims was Ricardo Gareca, head coach for one of Peru's top football clubs.

The four Colombians were part of a gang that had been committing crimes throughout the city for the past several months. Among their victims was Coach Gareca, who was robbed for $8,000 and his laptop.

31-year-old Jorge Eléicer Hernández, a.k.a. 'pelón'; Gilberto Salgado Carbajal (23), Juan Carlos Uribe Valencia (25) and Edgard Rivera Celis (21) were arrested on the first blocks of Nicolas Arriola Avenue in La Victoria.

According to police, the four thieves did not resist arrest and admitted to having committed the crimes they were accused of. On the other hand, they attempted to bribe officers with $20,000.

"They offered agents $20,000 if they would immediately let them go," said Carlos Remi, chief of the special forces unit. Semi-automatic weapons and revolvers were confiscated from the men.

It was reported that the gang was preparing to hold up a bank.

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Peru: Montesinos to testify at Fujimori's human rights trial

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori and his most trusted advisor Vladimiro Montesinos will see each other face to face once again.

The two will meet on Monday June 30 in the courtroom where Fujimori has been on trial for almost seven months.

According to the hearings schedule, the former nominal head of Peru’s national intelligence agency, Julio Salazar Monroe is to be questioned on Wednesday by Fujimori’s lawyer, Cesar Nakazaki.

It has been pointed out that Salazar’s lawyer is part of Souza/Nakazaki law firm, of which Fujimori’s lawyer is a main partner.

Salazar will then be questioned by the court on Friday and it has been planned that Montesinos will be in court on Monday, which is Fujimori’s 76th hearing.

Nakazaki has affirmed that he is calm and awaiting the former presidential advisor’s testimony.

“I don’t know what Montesinos could say on military intelligence,” said Nakazaki, explaining that Fujimori’s advisor had been in charge of handling “non-military intelligence”.

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