Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Acqua Hotel Resort Spa, the first hotel spa chain in Peru, announced today they will open a boutique hotel in Cusco between May and June next year.

Acqua’s marketing manager Gonzalo Tafur mentioned that this five-star hotel project will be the third Acqua’s hotel in Peru and the second in Cusco.

“This new project in Cusco will be located a block and a half from the Main Square in a restored 17th century colonial house”, he said to Andina news agency.

Tafur detailed that this $7 million hotel project will include 60 rooms, a restaurant, bar, gymnasium, among other services.

Acqua Hotel Resort Spa announced last month the construction of a 10 million dollar hotel project located in the Urubamba Valley (Cusco) which will have 115 rooms covering 2,500 square meters.

“Although Cusco's downtown project is smaller than Urubamba’s, it will provide travelers with the same quality of service during their stay in Cusco”, he added.

News source: ANDINA

Peru labor ministry declares mining strike illegal

Peru's Labor Ministry on Wednesday declared a nationwide mining strike illegal, a ruling that the government normally makes during walkouts to persuade strikers to return to work. The ruling would allow companies to eventually fire workers if they fail to return to their jobs within a week or two. (Reuters - click here to see article)


US copper climbs on U.S. orders rise, Peru strike

U.S. copper futures returned to the upside Wednesday after higher-than-forecast U.S. factory orders data were released, reversing declines from a light profit taking spree ahead of the long U.S. holiday weekend, traders said. Copper prices reached a fresh 2-month high overnight as a miners' strike in the world's second-largest producer Peru continued, traders said. (Reuters - click here to read complete article)


Unions at more big Peru mines may join strike

Workers at several sprawling mines in Peru threatened to join a nationwide mining strike that entered its third day on Wednesday, while the government tried to persuade striking laborers to return to work by declaring the walkout illegal. Unions at Newmont's gold mine Yanacocha, Freeport-McMoRan's Cerro Verde copper pit, and additional mines of zinc producer Volcan were slated to vote on Wednesday whether they would down tools. "We expect to join the strike," said Guillermo Nina, a union leader at Yanacocha, one of Latin America's largest gold mines. (Reuters - click here to read complete article by Terry Wade and Jean Luis Arce)


Strike in Peru threatens to disrupt Yanacocha gold mine

Peruvian workers at the Yanacocha gold mine could join a nationwide mining strike that entered its third day on Wednesday, as laborers walked off of Doe Run Peru's Cobriza mine. The strike is designed to pressure legislators to pass a bill that would give workers a greater share of profits from sky-high metals prices. Workers in Peru are holding protests to press their demands with Congress. (Resource Investor - click here to read complete article by Jon Nones)


Mines and production affected by Peru strike

Peruvian workers were on strike for a third day at various mines across the Andean country to press Congress to approve a bill to improve labor benefits. Below is a list of all key mines, indicating where production has been impacted. (Reuters - click here to see list)

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Students at the University of San Marcos took more extreme measures on Tuesday after realizing that the Municipality of Lima was not going to stop constructing a bypass and new road next to and on their campus.

Assuring they were shocked and offended that the municipality had demolished one of the university's walls to continue construction of a new road, students blocked two blocks of Venezuela Avenue and attacked construction workers with rocks and sticks.

Furthermore, students raided the university's administrative offices and demanded that the university void the contract it had signed with the municipality.

Students affirm the destruction of the wall leaves the university unprotected and open to criminal acts.

They have also explained that construction work would affect archaeological ruins next to the campus.

Municipal authorities claim there are political reasons behind student riots, stating that the wall is to be rebuilt in 20 days.

Furthermore, municipal representatives assure a contract was signed between district authorities and university representatives several months ago.

A similar riot took place in May, when students went up against Peru's national police with rocks and sticks. The country's national police responded with tear gas and threw rocks as well.

Riots left several police officers wounded and a group of students detained.

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Labeled as "visual contamination" and a "spiderweb of cables", telephone cables in an upscale Lima district will soon be removed and placed underground.

Residents in the district of Miraflores, one of Peru's most touristic areas, have complained that an excessive amount of telephone and electric cables in their district is making the streets look unattractive.

In response to these claims and other concerns, the district's municipal council has prohibited the installation of more telephone and electric cables and has ordered that all cables, which are currently on posts, be placed underground.

According to an ordinance published in the Andean country's official gazette, district authorities have given electric and telephone companies 18 months to take their cables down and place them underground.

It was reported that the majority of cables were old and unused. Furthermore, it was noted that the majority of them were hanging below the permitted safety height.

Enrique Flores, a consultant for the district's Urban Infrastructure Department explained that 70 percent of the cables hanging on posts were old and not in use.

"We are talking about thousands and thousands of meters. What is good is that Telefonica has already committed to organizing its cables. They are already removing cables that are not being used," said Flores.

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.

Copper climbs to 2-mth high on Peru strikes

Copper hit a two-month high on Wednesday as industrial action in Peru threatened supply, while rising energy prices underpinned aluminium. Copper for three-month delivery on the London Metal Exchange touched an intraday high of $8,671 per tonne, before trading at $8,630/8,640 at 0931 GMT versus $8,610 at the close on Tuesday. Aluminium eased slightly to $3,140/3,150 a tonne from $3,155 on Tuesday, after hitting an intraday high of $3,177 -- the highest since March 11. (Reuters - click here to read complete article)


Peru's finance minister could step down

Peru's Finance Minister Luis Carranza has expressed his desire to resign, and it is up to him to decide whether he stays or quits, President Alan Garcia told reporters on Tuesday. Garcia, who praised Carranza's work, said a final decision had not yet been made. "In the end, I'll put it in his hands to decide ... It's not something that the prime minister or I have asked for," Garcia said. (Reuters - click here to read complete article)


Peru: Latin America Bond, Currency Preview

Peru: Consumer prices rose 5.7 percent in the 12 months through June, the government reported yesterday. The inflation rate was higher than the 5.4 percent rise in May, the National Statistics Institute said in a report. The median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey of 14 economists predicted 5.4 percent. The sol was little changed at 2.9615 per U.S. dollar. (Bloomberg - click here to read complete article by Jamie McGee)


Doherty Students make a difference in Peru

Lauren Collins, Paige Clarke, Molly Frick and six other Doherty High Students can not stop talking about their medical mission trip to Peru. The group provided important hygiene and health care to impoverished South American villages, all in conjunction with the local non-profit organization Adopt a Village International and Springs Rotary Club. (Fox21 - click here to read complete article by Rachel Welte)


Protecting Peru and Brazil’s Uncontacted Amazon Tribes

What is it about the recent photographs of the “uncontacted” indigenous tribe of the Peruvian-Brazilian Amazon region that has caused such a stir? The provocative photos of painted natives in loincloths, including several holding bows ready to loose their arrows at the aircraft filming them from overhead, are eliciting worldwide concern over how the government will treat these people. The image of brandished arrows seems pretty clear: these natives want to be left alone. (COHA - click here to read complete article)

With a tribute to the earth, Peruvian authorities in Machu Picchu will commemorate July 7; the first year since Machu Picchu's election as one of the New Seven World Wonders. Celebrations started Tuesday with a parade put together by preschool students.

The district's municipality said the tribute to the earth would be carried out at 6.00 hours (11:00 GMT) at the archaeological place. Local and regional authorities took part in this event.

On July 7, tourists arriving to the local station by train will receive a special welcome.

In addition, there will be a mass, a civic parade with educative institutions and a representation of an epic story about Tahuantinsuyo put together by 36 artists.

In the evening, people will enjoy a serenade, a parade and programmed activities organized by the National Institute of Culture (INC).

News source: ANDINA

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Karol Castillo Pinillos, a native of the northern region of Trujillo, is already in HCM City, Vietnam and preparing for this year's Miss Universe 2008 beauty pageant.

It has been reported that Karol is off to a good start at this 51st edition of the beauty pageant.

The 18-year-old Peruvian university student was chosen along with nine other candidates from amongst representatives from 80 countries for having the best traditional costume.

The host city, the Miss Universe Organization and the Universe Corporation have announced that preparations are ready for the final round of the pageant, which is to be held on July 14 in Nha Trang City.

Karol is scheduled to take part in activities in major cities throughout Vietnam.

Galas, parades, visits to charity organizations, and a national gift auction are just some of the events the Peruvian psychology student will be a part of.

The new Miss Peru Universe, who has long black hair and is just under 6 feet tall, won the crown in the Andean country after she captivated a panel of judges in May at what used to be the Hacienda Villa, located in Chorrillos, a seaside Lima district.

After the pageant, the new beauty queen stated she did not think she would win the crown and dedicated her victory to the city of Trujillo.

The IV Negotiations Round for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Peru and China, which is taking place in Lima, has gotten complicated because of inflexibility on behalf of the Chinese technical team, which hasn’t given its position regarding sensitive products, Peruvian minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Mercedes Aráoz stated Tuesday.

“There have been problems and until now there wasn’t any change of position by China about our request of sensitive products, but we won’t change our position either”, she said to Andina news agency.

The IV Negotiation Round for the bilateral FTA started on June 28 and it will continue until July 3.

Aráoz explained that Peru proposed to exclude ten percent of entries of sensitive products from customs deductions, such as textiles and footwear, but China has said it shouldn’t be more than eight percent.

"It is not such a serious topic but we must continue the dialog among the technical team as well as the ministerial level. Meanwhile, we continue supporting our initial offer that is ten per cent", she added.

News soruce: ANDINA

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Lambayeque's Association of King Kong Producers has announced they are going to make a 900-kilogram (1,984-pound) piece of King Kong, a traditional Peruvian pastry produced in northern Peru.

The pastry - which consists of several sheets of a type of shortbread stuffed with manjar blanco, peanuts and cooked fruits such as pineapple - is to be made during the 5th King Kong Festival to be held from July 20 - 29.

Aside from holding this year's King Kong Festival, the northern region of Lambayeque will also be hosting its annual International Desserts Fair, which will also take place from the 20 - 29 of June.

Jorge Barandiaran, the head of Lambayeque's Association of King Kong Producers, which is made up of eleven formal King Kong factories, announced that the delicious Peruvian dessert would be made in cooperation with the 11 production companies.

The festival, which is to be the meeting ground for companies from Tumbes, Piura, Cajamarca, Tarapoto and Cusco, is to take place in the city Lambayeque.

"Producers will set up over 100 stands," affirmed Barandiaran, explaining that all those who attended would complementary be offered a piece of King Kong.