Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

In a near future, Venezuela could begin to interfere with Peru's government the way it is interfering with Bolivia's, said Luis Vasquez Villamor and Carlos Böhrt, two Bolivian senators.

If Peru's government does not act soon, the country will have Venezuela sending checks, money and military personnel to Peru, similar to what is happening in Bolivia, explained the two politicians.

According to the senators, one way that Hugo Chavez was expanding and making his way into foreign countries was by using ALBA houses, which Peruvian officials say are meeting places for pro-Chavez radical leftists.

President Alan Garcia said in March that there were approximately 200 of these "houses" operating in Peru.

They are  believed to be tied to a Latin American alliance known as ALBA, which is led by Hugo Chavez to fight U.S. influence in the region.

After Bolivia's Senate head, Oscar Ortiz said that Venezuela was meddling in the country's internal issues, Senator Vasquez Villamor warned that the same thing could happen soon in Peru if the government did not control the situation.

"What is happening in Bolivia goes against all norms because all cooperation should be done through agreements and other similar channels. ALBA houses in Peru are a sign of this intrusion," said Vasquez.

Peru's government has not authorized for the ALBA houses to operate in the country or for other Venezuela-funded programs that have taken place in Peru.

Authorities have formed a special committee to investigate the ALBA houses.

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

After a law was not passed last month because thirteen congressional representatives were absent from congress, Peru's government has decided to take stricter measures in making politicians fulfill their duties.

It was reported that the congressional representatives who were absent had not provided a valid excuse for their absences and had decided not to take part in the meeting without giving an acceptable reason.

Authorities have decided to fine politicians, in the case that this happens again, and publish the names of the congressional representatives that do not fulfill their duties, said Luis Gonzales Posada, the president of Peru's congress.

Furthermore, Posada announced that beginning next week congress would meet an additional two times per week.

It was reported that a list of the politicians that did not assist congress would be posted on the entity's web page. The people will know which politicians are fulfilling their duties and which are not, assured Posada.

He suggested that it would also be a good idea to publish the names of representatives that were absent and tardy in Peru's official gazette, El Peruano.

The president of congress explained that spokespersons for each party had agreed to educate politicians and make sure that the new measures were applied, stating that congressional representatives would be replaced if the problem continued.

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Fitch Ratings is the first major credit rating agency to raise Peru to investment grade.

The Andean nation's proud government received the news on Wednesday.

Since then Alan Garcia and his cabinet have held meetings to analyze the benefits of having a BBB- investment-grade level and how this will help Peru's economy.

Garcia assured that the new investment grade would attract cheaper capital that would pave the way for more employment and better salaries, which would benefit the country. Furthermore, the president assured that Peru had caught up with Chile.

He affirmed that the country had achieved this grade because of sound fiscal policies as well as social and economic stability, stating that he received this achievement humbly and serenely.

Garcia explained that this had been one of the goals he had set during his speech on July 28, Peru's Independence Day.

This upgrade creates the conditions for more foreign companies to invest in Peru, said Prime Minster Jorge del Castillo.

He explained that the rise in grade was a consequence of policies the government had set since the beginning of Garcia's administration.

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

A committee that supervises congressional activities in Peru has agreed to investigate the governor of Puno, Hernan Fuentes Guzman after several accusations were made that Fuentes was misusing the region's funds.

Hildebrando Tapia, a member of Unidad Nacional, a Peruvian right-wing party, made the formal request to have an investigation opened on Hernan Fuentes, the governor who recently proposed to make the region of Puno an independent state.

When supporting his request to have an investigation opened on the regional president, Tapia stated that over the past few days there have been an increased number of charges pressed against the politician, mainly concerning the administration of the region's economy.

"It's time for the congressional committee to get involved and investigate these accusations," said Tapia. Accusations made against Fuentes include spending 8 million soles on tips in 2007 and purchasing a new vehicle in 2008.

Tapia is not the only one that has requested that an investigation be opened, congressional representatives in the region itself have also made the request.

Hernan Fuentes has openly praised the president of Venezuela and asked for his support on several occasions.

Moreover, the Peruvian governor has allowed the establishment of politically controversial programs funded by the Venezuelan and Cuban government in Puno.

He recently claimed he was being politically persecuted and stated he was considering seeking asylum in Venezuela or Bolivia. Near the end of March, Fuentes retracted his statements.

(LIP-ir) -- Peru's Minster of Defense, Ántero Flores-Aráoz, denied claims made by Ollanta Humala, a left-leaning nationalist politician, that there were U.S. military troops in Peru's jungle without the proper authorization.

"I don't know where he has gotten that from. There is no foreign or U.S. military personnel in our country. There is a constant relationship with the DEA to fight drug trafficking but there are no troops at the time," said the minister of defense.

Humala, who did not have any concrete evidence to support the accusations he was making, made the claims once again Monday morning, assuring that he had been given the information by Peruvian troops stationed in Iquitos, a city in the Andean country's jungle.

The authorization to carry out missions that involve Peru's armed forces and foreign military personnel are always published in El Peruano, the country's official gazette, explained Minister Flores-Aráoz.

Several congressional representatives labeled Humala's claims as irresponsible, stating he did not have a basis for the accusations he was making.

"The accusations made are not irresponsible at all, what is irresponsible is that this information is not clarified," said Humala in a radio interview.

(LIP-ir)  --  In an effort to aid the country's poorest families, Peru's government is identifying the first 100,000 families that will receive food from the State, said APRAs secretary general, Mauricio Mulder.

As the prices of common products such as bread, chicken and vegetables continue to increase, the government has begun a program to attempt to counter the effects of inflation on the Andean country's poorest families.

The program is to provide food for the country's poorest citizens.

"There comes a time when a country has to realize that subsidizing means alleviating situations that are out of control, like the fact that staple food prices are being increased," said Mulder, stating that it was time for the government to make sacrifices.

He explained that providing food for the country's citizens was like the fuel stabilization fund, a fund which absorbs high international oil prices, thus, giving Peru's people much better prices for fuel.

Mulder assured that it was a way to relieve the country's poorest citizens.

According to Mulder, families in Lima would be the first to benefit from the new program. He stated that the government was seeking the 100,000 neediest families.

The program will then expand to other parts of the country until it reaches the most rural areas, said APRAs secretary general.

(LIP-ir) -- Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo affirmed Friday morning that he had no intention of running for president "at this time", stating that he was focusing on his academic tasks at a U.S. university.

The former president assured he was not considering running in the electoral campaign for 2011 and stated that his priority at the time was his work at Stanford University and at the Global Center for Development and Democracy.

"I know this may sound rhetorical, but it isn't. At this time I do not have any intention of being a presidential candidate," said Toledo from New York in a telephone interview with RPP Noticias.

He affirmed that statements made that he was going to return to Peru to start up a presidential campaign were rumors.

"Alejandro Toledo is no thinking about a campaign for Alejandro Toledo," insisted Peru's former Head of State.

When asked about the country's stability, he questioned the fact that the inflation index had increased and that the cost of products in the Andean country was increasing.

He assured that inflation was not just an effect of the outside market.

Accompanied by twelve former presidents for the Global Center for Development and Democracy, Alejandro Toledo is to return to Peru on April 25 to establish an agenda for democracy in Latin America for the next 20 years.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez has strongly denied allegations that he supports leftist groups in Peru, calling them a provocation.

The Houses of ALBA, organized by followers of Hugo Chávez in many Peruvian towns, have been accused by the Peruvian government of allegedly supporting social protests around the country.

Venezuelan president said the "Houses of ALBA" (which stands for the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas) operate only in Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, referring to allegations stating Venezuela is financing this project in Peru.

“We are not supporting the "Houses of ALBA" in any other country. If someone wants to organize meeting points and name them like that, then each country must investigate whether these places have ties with violent groups or interfere in the country's internal affairs. A government's allegation without proof is something serious and may be part of a provocation", he said in a press conference.

Chávez added that Venezuela and Cuba support the so-called “Misión Milagro” (Miracle Mission) aimed at helping poor people with eye problems. "Countries interested in this project request information and consult directly with Caracas and La Habana", he said.

News source: ANDINA

(LIP-ir) -- Despite having been called "seditious" by Peru's Cabinet Chief, Jorge del Castillo, Hernan Fuentes, the regional president of Puno, one of Peru's southeastern most regions, assured that he would continue working on plans to make Puno an independent state.

Fuentes' statement caused an uproar among congressional representatives as well as government authorities on Monday.

The president of congress, Luis Gonzales Posada, assured that Fuentes' statements were a sign of "constitutional ignorance" while the Minister of Justice said his plan was "absurd".

Hernan Fuentes was not supported by other regional presidents either. "I am sure that 90 percent of the regional presidents don't support Fuentes", said Yehude Simon, the regional president of Lambayeque.

He assured that what Fuentes was trying to do was "crazy".

Congressional representatives in Puno have asked for an investigation to be opened on Hernan Fuentes, stating that he should be called to explain how funds were being administered.

Fuentes has also been accused of spending over 4 million soles on "propinas" or tips in the past year.

The president of congress, Luis Gonzales Posada, announced Tuesday that a new law would be discussed with the regional presidents of the country to keep things like this from happening in the future.

The Honourable Peter Milliken will meet with high ranking officials of the Peruvian government

The Speaker for the House of Commons, the Honourable Peter Milliken, will be in Lima from March 17th-19th and will meet with high ranking officials from the Peruvian government to strengthen commercial and political ties between Canada and Peru.

Speaker Milliken will travel with a group of members of Parliament: Mr. Ted Menzies (Conservative Party of Canada), who is also the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Mario Silva (Liberal Party), Mr. James Rajotte (Conservative) and Mr. Yves Laforest (Bloc Québecois).

On March 18th, the Speaker will visit the Peruvian Congress where he will meet with his counterpart, the president of Peru’s Legislative, Dr. Luis Gonzales Posada, and with the president of the Peru-Canada Parliamentary Friendship League, Congressman Aníbal Huerta Díaz.

Mr. Milliken will also meet with Almirante Luis Giampietri, first vice-president of Peru and chairman APEC 2008 High-level Commission, and exchange ideas on diverse issues related to the APEC summit which is taking place in Peru.

He will also meet with executives from Canadian companies operating in Peru and with representatives from the Peruvian civil society.