News on Peru

October 17, 2007

An army patrol clashed with a column of suspected leftist rebels in the southern highlands of Peru, killing seven of them, the armed forces said in a communique published Wednesday. The communique said the patrol recovered an automatic rifle, a submachine gun and three pistols from Shining Path rebels killed in a firefight near the village of Putis high in the Andes 200 miles (330 km) southeast of Lima.

October 16, 2007

Millions of city-dwelling Peruvians have been ordered to stay home for eight hours this Sunday as government officials conduct the country's second national census in two years.
Businesses will be closed, public buses won't run, and cabs carrying foreign tourists will need a special permit, as all urban residents are forced to stay inside from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The census, which falls on one of the week's biggest shopping days, is expected to cost local merchants millions of dollars (euros).
"If we can't work, what are we going to do?" said Marta Legua, 63, who sells ice cream from a bicycle cart in Lima. She works seven days a week and expects to lose US$20 (€14.13) Sunday, a big chunk of her weekly earnings.

October 6, 2007

The former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, is to stand trial on charges of human rights violations in November, a Peruvian judicial panel has ruled.
The trial will centre on allegations of murder and kidnapping related to the activities of death squads in the 1990s, Judge Cesar San Martin said.
Mr Fujimori, 69, who was extradited from Chile last month, faces up to 30 years in jail if convicted.

October 4, 2007

A previously unknown indigenous group living in isolation has been found deep in Peru's Amazon jungle, a team of ecologists has said.
The ecologists spotted the 21 Indians near the Brazilian border as they flew overhead looking for illegal loggers.
Contact with outsiders can be fatal for isolated tribes people who have no immunity to many diseases.
Some groups have fled deep into the jungle to avoid contact with loggers and oil and gas prospectors.

September 18, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A free trade agreement with Peru is headed for approval in Congress, but trade deals with Panama and Colombia face problems, a senior Democrat in the House of Representatives said on Tuesday.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, a New York Democrat, told reporters his committee would begin action on the Peru free trade agreement next week.
But votes are still lacking for the Colombia agreement and lawmakers are waiting to hear from the Bush administration how it plans to address the recent election to Panama's top legislative post of a man wanted by the United States in the killing of a U.S. soldier, Rangel said.

September 17, 2007

NEW YORK (AFP) - Yale University is to return to Peru thousands of artifacts taken from the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu by a real-life Indiana Jones nearly 100 years ago, the top US university said.
Archaeologist Hiram Bingham, a Yale history professor, stumbled across the Machu Picchu ruins while exploring the Peruvian Andes in 1911, rediscovering an ancient city first built in the 1500s but long-since abandoned.
In the following five years, he took thousands of mummified remains, ceramic fragments, bones and works of art from the site back to Yale, in Connecticut.

September 17, 2007

LIMA (AFP) - Villagers in southern Peru were struck by a mysterious illness after a meteorite made a fiery crash to Earth in their area, regional authorities said Monday.
Around midday Saturday, villagers were startled by an explosion and a fireball that many were convinced was an airplane crashing near their remote village, located in the high Andes department of Puno in the Desaguadero region, near the border with Bolivia.
Residents complained of headaches and vomiting brought on by a "strange odor," local health department official Jorge Lopez told Peruvian radio RPP.
Seven policemen who went to check on the reports also became ill and had to be given oxygen before being hospitalized, Lopez said.

Thousands of people in northern Peru have voted against plans for a huge mine on their land which they say will contaminate water and destroy crops.
More than 90% of voters in a referendum rejected the Rio Blanco mine proposals - but the Peruvian government said the result was not legally binding.
President Alan Garcia accused objectors of plotting to stymie economic growth.

September 10, 2007

Casinos, new restaurants and hotels are sprouting up in Peru's capital, Lima. Far way in small jungle towns along the eastern side of the Andes, it is also "boom time".
The money is flowing thanks partly to the US-funded war on drugs in neighbouring Colombia where President Alvaro Uribe's hardline stance has made cocaine production more difficult.
Drug cartels are increasingly switching to Peru, where, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, potential cocaine production rose by 8% from 2005 to 2006 despite the intensified anti-drug strategy by the Peruvian authorities.

August 30, 2007

Peruvian officials say they have run out of tents and urgently need at least 40,000 more to house victims of the devastating earthquake two weeks ago.
Aid agencies said many survivors in the Ica region were living on the streets in unhygienic conditions, and were desperately in need of basic supplies.
French agency Medecins San Frontieres said it was as if the earthquake had struck just a day before.

August 14, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Peru's National Statistics Institute (INEI) reported that visits to Machu Picchu increased by 13.1 percent during the month of May. 47,192 tourists, foreign and native, visited "The Lost City of the Incas" in Peru. When compared to the number of visitors Machu PIcchu had in May 2006, a 13.1 percent increase can be seen. Peru's INEI reported that this is the sixth consecutive month in which tourism to the Inca Citadel has increased. INEI informed that this growth can be attributed to the mass amount of publicity and campaigns, national and international that have been organized encouraging tourists to visit Machu Picchu.

August 14, 2007

A German scientist has described a new species of characin from the Knodus genus after it was discovered in Peru. Axel Zarske named the new species as Knodus pasco in a paper in the German journal Vertebrate Zoology. Knodus pasco is one of the smaller representatives of the Knodus genus and is named after the Departmento Pasco area, in which it was discovered. The new species has a complete lateral line, four teeth in the second row on the premaxillary bone and the base of its caudal fin is scaled.

August 14, 2007

CLAUDIO PIZARRO faces a fight to stay in the Chelsea team but the former Bayern Munich striker has started with a bang in English football. The Peru captain scored a goal on his debut and was solid in leading the line for a 3-2 win against Birmingham on Sunday. But when big-money signings Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko are fully fit, he knows he is in for a tough time. He should be able to cope, though. Born in Callao, Peru’s largest port, Pizarro planned to follow his father into the navy and went to college to be a naval officer. He soon switched his ambition to football, though, and the 28-year-old is now intent on seizing the moment. Pizarro said: “I’m working hard to keep my place and I hope I can play against Reading. “There is a lot of competition and that’s normal in a big team. We want to win a lot of trophies, so we will all get a chance. But, of course, I want to play.”

August 13, 2007

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown species of bird in dense bamboo thickets in the Peruvian Amazon. Writing in the journal The Auk, authors led by Daniel F. Lane of the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science describe the new species of twistwing (Cnipodectes superrufus). The scientists say the brownish-red colored bird (with colors of various body parts ranging from "mahogany red", "auburn", "burnt sienna", "Sanford's Brown", "chestnut brown", "Argus brown", "Xanthine orange", "Prout's brown", "Vinaceous-Fawn" and "raw umber" among other shades of brown) remained unknown until the present due to its poorly known, and largely inaccessible habitat: thickets of thorny bamboo (Guadua weberbaueri) in southeastern Peru. The researchers not that while the species was only recently discovered, it may prove to be a common species with "immense blocks of Guadua-dominated terra firme forest in southwestern Amazonian Brazil, southeastern Peru, and northwestern-most Bolivia." Further, some of the birds were spotted within the Manu Biosphere Zone, a large protected area.

August 10, 2007

A U.S. report says land-use policies in Peru that designate specific regions for legal logging have helped temper rain forest degradation and destruction. An analysis of high-resolution satellite data by the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology found that the logging plan, combined protection of other forests, and the establishment of territories for indigenous peoples helped keep large-scale rain forest damage in check between the years 1999 and 2005.
The researchers, however, found an increase in forest disturbance in two areas of the jungle where the forests are accessible by roads. "We found that only 1 to 2 percent of this disturbance in Peru happened in natural protected areas," lead author Paulo Oliveira said Friday in a release. "However, there was substantial forest disturbance adjacent to areas set aside for legal logging operations. This leakage of human activity outside of logging concessions is a concern." The report was published online in the journal Science Express.

August 10, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- A substantial increase in Peru's coffee production over the past years can be seen when the 81 thousand pounds produced in 1990, are compared to the 350 thousand pounds that were produced in 2006.
Due to its trade value, Peru's coffee is considered important in the country's economy. President of Peru's Chamber of Coffee and Cocoa, Luis Navarro Váscones, reported that last year alone, coffee exports amounted to US$ 513 million. Navarro Váscones also reported that coffee production is the main agricultural activity in the high jungle, where it supports 150 thousand families, which cultivate it for a living.

(LIP-ir) -- Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Karen Hughes, Peru's General Director of Cultural Patrimony, Ambassador Liliana Cino and Peru's Director of the National Institute of Culture (INC), Cecilia Bákula participated in an event to extend a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that protects Peru's cultural patrimony. The event took place at Peru's National Museum, where the officials expressed the importance and success achieved due to the Memorandum of Understanding, which has now been extended to 2012. The recovery of over 300 archaeological artifacts, recovered from Miami, Florida, U.S., was announced and attributed to the MOU. The MOU restricts the import of pre-Columbian archaeological artifacts and Colonial ethnological materials from all areas of Peru, thus creating measures to protect Peru's cultural patrimony.

August 9, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- A study done by scientists at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology showed that land-use policies in Peru have been extremely important in controlling rain forest degradation in Peru. Scientists in the Department of Global Ecology analyzed seven years of high-resolution satellite data covering 79% of the Peruvian Amazon. Studies showed that government programs in Peru, which designated specific areas for logging, along with forest and indigenous people protection programs, helped keep rain forest damage under control from 1999 - 2005. Studies have also shown that in the past couple of years there has been more disturbance in Peru's rain forest, specifically in two areas which are accessible by roads. In a press release published today it was reported that lead author Paulo Oliveira stated that only 1 to 2 percent of the disturbance happened in natural protected areas. Oliveira also stated that a substantial amount of disturbance can be seen in regions adjacent to areas set aside for logging, attributing this to a "leakage of human activity."

August 9, 2007

LIMA, Peru (Reuters) -- Yale University will for the first time provide Peru with an inventory of thousands of artifacts taken from Machu Picchu 90 years ago, Peruvian officials said Thursday, as they work to have the objects returned. Negotiations over who owns more than 4,000 pieces of pottery, jewelry and bones from the ancient Inca citadel had stalled are were now progressing, officials said. "The relationship is moving forward like never before, towards an understanding," said Cecilia Bakula, head of Peru's national institute of culture. "This has allowed, among other things, for Yale to commit itself to providing a complete inventory of its archeological goods for the first time." Yale officials declined to comment. Bakula spoke at an event with U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes, who visited Lima to say the United States was returning 350 pre-Colombian artifacts to Peru. The artifacts were recovered in Miami under an anti-smuggling accord between the two countries.

August 9, 2007

(Bloomberg) -- Peru slowed the destruction of its rainforests by designating areas for legal logging and setting aside the rest for conservation, according to scientists who tracked developments through a satellite imaging system. Peru designated 31 percent of its 255,000 square miles of rainforest as a protected area in 2001, and by 2005 had set aside about 16 percent of the total for long-term commercial timber production. Rainforest destruction was greater in neighboring Brazil, which lacked a national forest concession plan until last year, said Gregory Asner, the Stanford University scientist who led the study. Environmentalists are looking to preserve the world's forests to combat global warming caused by the emission of carbon dioxide, which is consumed by forests. About 150,000 square kilometers (57,915 square miles) are destroyed every year by logging, ranching and other commercial activities, according to the Web site of The Rainforest Foundation, a London-based nonprofit.

August 8, 2007

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Passengers aboard Spirit Airlines Flight 180 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to New York's LaGuardia International Airport had an unexpected travel companion Tuesday: a small monkey. A passenger who originally departed from Lima, Peru, and connected in Fort Lauderdale had been hiding the small monkey in his ponytail, under his hat, according to Spirit Airlines spokeswoman Alison Russell. During the flight, the monkey crawled out of its hiding spot, forcing the owner to hold it in his hands, where the unexpected visitor was soon spotted by fellow passengers and crew members, Russell said. The Port Authority Police Department was contacted by Spirit Airlines, and officials met the owner and the monkey at the gate.

August 7, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Cocoa is produced in several regions in Peru, regions such as Tumbes, Piura, Cajamarca, Amazonas, San Martín, Huanuco, Ucayali, Junín, Cusco y Ayacucho. Peru's Promotion Commission for Exportation and Tourism (PromPeru) recently released the commercial report for cocoa in Peru.
In its report PromPeru stated that in 2006, the value of Peruvian cocoa bean exports reached US$ 4.3 million, registering a growth rate of about 114% when compared to the previous year. The exportation of cocoa beans has increased immensely in the past years. This can be seen when comparing previous years to the present. The volume of Peruvian Cocoa beans exported in 2006, was 2,649 tons, that registered a growth of 132 % compared to the previous year. In the period 2001-2006, the growth of the exported volume was about 138% per year, on average. The main countries Peru's cocoa beans are exported to are Switzerland and Belgium. They accounted for 67.36% of exports in 2006.

August 2, 2007

There is a lot to be said for this humble vegetable. The potato is a versatile food used in many cuisines around the world. Potatoes get mashed, boiled, roasted and steamed, prepared however you like them. White potatoes contain vitamin C, potassium and fibre, and they are low in calories. The bad rap potatoes have is due to the company they keep. Sour cream, butter and the oil they get fried in are the culprits. Potatoes were thought to have been discovered in Peru. They are a very important crop in the Andes, as they grow over 100 varieties of potatoes. Potatoes were a staple food on board Spanish ships in the 1500s. When the ships sank, the potatoes were rescued by the English people living on the coast and grown.

August 2, 2007

A large group of uncontacted Indians has appeared in a remote village in the Amazon rainforest near the Peru-Brazil border, a Brazilian government official and expert on uncontacted tribes has reported. The Indians are believed to have fled from Peru into Brazil because of illegal loggers sweeping through Peru’s rainforests in search of rare mahogany, known as 'red gold.' The loggers are destroying the Indians’ territories, forcing them to seek refuge elsewhere and leading to dangerous contacts with outsiders. The Indians suddenly appeared at a village called Bananeira and spent a day and a night there. Another, smaller group of uncontacted Indians was also spotted at a nearby settlement called Liberdade. ‘We are on the verge of disaster. Illegal logging in protected areas in Peru is pushing the uncontacted tribes into Brazil, which could cause conflicts and lead to their appearance in places where they have never been seen before,’ said José Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Júnior, head of the Indian Protection post near the Peru border. Mr Meirelles made his statement in an urgent alert sent to the Brazilian government.

August 1, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Chief of the Cultural Education and Broadening Division at Peru's National Zoo (Parque de las Leyendas), Jorge Zerene Zerene, has stated that Peru's number-one zoo is under new administration. Zerene explained that the zoo had been under the direction of the Ministry of Women and Social Development but has now been passed over to be run by the Municipality of Lima. According to Zerene, the Municipality has already created plans to modernize the whole park. Lima's Mayor, Luis Castañeda, has expressed the desire to have Peru's national zoo become the most important zoo in South America. To reach the high standards being sought, a series of investments will be made to make the entire zoo bigger, therefore providing greater comfort for the animals and those who visit. The first in the series of projects planned, is the construction of a much larger area where tigers, lions and other felines can roam. The importation of exotic species, such as elephants, tigers and giraffes is also planned.

August 1, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- As part of a project begun by the U.S. government, from August 7 - 12, an American medical mission, aboard the USNS navy hospital ship Comfort, will provide medical attention and humanitarian aid to thousands of Peruvians in la Libertad, Peru. U.S. Embassy, Chief, Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG)--Col. Jeffrey Fargo announced the new mission's commencement and pointed out that it would be the second of its kind. The first mission made its way to Peru's coast in the 80's. "This mission is part of a series of annual humanitarian aid missions the U.S. Southern Command and Peru's Ministry of Defense are taking part in. Our medical staff and military engineers are enthusiastic about helping the country's neediest people," said Fargo. José Antonio Bellina, a director for Peru's Ministry of Defense, recognized the tremendous aid the Southern Command has given and noted that not long ago they also took part in a very successful mission to Lambayeque, Peru.

August 1, 2007

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820, an ambitious exhibition of more than 200 works of art created in the Spanish viceroyalties of New Spain (which today comprises Mexico and the countries of Central America, including Guatemala, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico) and Peru (now the countries of Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru), as well as the Portuguese colony of Brazil. Spanning three centuries, from the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the emergence of the national independence movements, the exhibition explores both the artistic differences and commonalities throughout colonial Latin America, and features a remarkable collection of objects from public and private collections from around the world--many seen for the first time in the United States. The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820 opens at LACMA on August 5, 2007 and remains on view through October 28, 2007. It will be the final stop of a major international tour. "LACMA is delighted to bring this revelatory exhibition of richly diverse objects from Latin America to the City of Los Angeles," said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director. "Our visitors have an unprecedented opportunity to see some of the most significant pieces created in the New World, many expressly restored for the exhibition, including a monumental sculpture of the crucifix from the Monastery of São Bento in Olinda, Brazil. Colonial Latin American art is a unique, original, and marvelous epoch of art history, which will become fully understood in this landmark exhibition."

August 1, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Lima Airport Partners (LAP) has announced, that beginning today, it is prohibited to carry liquids, aerosol cans and gels in carry-on baggage, when boarding an international flight from Peru's Jorge Chavez International Airport. To ensure passenger's compliance with this new security measure, LAP has posted signs throughout the inside and outside of the airport. Peru's LAP has informed that the first line of control will be handled at airline ticket counters, where passengers will be reminded to not have such items in their carry-on baggage. When passengers arrive to security checkpoints, they must place all personal belongings in security trays as well as a separate bag containing any liquid items.

Prohibited Products
It is now prohibited to have the following products in your carry-on baggage: water and any type of beverage, soups, marmalades, syrups, pastes, foods with high amounts of water, gels, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, vaseline, liquid make-up, colognes, perfumes, deodorant, aerosol cans, foams, lipstick, chapstick and other items which may be similar. It is permitted to have liquid, aerosol and gel products as long as they are in containers no larger than 100ml. The containers must be in a transparent 20x20 cm zip-lock bag, that has a capacity no greater than 1 liter. One zip-lock bag will be permitted per passenger.

August 1, 2007

They sound exotic. They are exotic. Mango - the word brings to mind lush tropical locations, with endless beaches and warm ocean waves. Yet, there mangos sit, on display in grocery stores in landlocked Colorado. Not a palm tree in sight, just the promise of a sweet taste of paradise…
There are five varieties of mangos widely available in the United States, according to the National Mango Board. Like apples, each has a distinct appearance and flavor:

Ataulfo - from Mexico, Guatemala and Ecuador. Yellow, with a spicy-sweet taste. Available in early January and mid-February through mid-August.

Haden - from Mexico, Ecuador and Peru. Green and/or yellow with red highlights and a full, peach-like taste. Available mid-February through July and mid-October through December.

Keitt - from the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Green with some dark red blush; mild taste. Available May through September.

Kent - from Mexico, Peru and Ecuador. Greenish with dark red blush and small yellow dots; very rich, sweet flavor. Available January through March and late May through mid-September.

Tommy Atkins - from Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Guatemala. Gold to greenish skin with crimson blush and mild flavor. Available year round.

August 1, 2007

TWO surprise guests made sure Marco Valdiva and Shelley Wilson had a wedding to remember. Inca and William – a pair of Peruvian llamas – turned up after the service at the Inn-on-the-Lake, Glenridding, Ullswater, to mark the occasion. And Marco, originally from Peru, was particularly delighted to see a link with his home country. Mei-Yun Valdivia A L’Onions, Marco’s sister-in-law, said: “My husband and I decided that it would be nice to bring a little touch of Peru to what was otherwise a very traditional wedding. “We searched high and low for a firm that could send along some llamas. We eventually found one and it was well worth it. “The look on Marco and Shelley’s faces when they saw the llamas was fantastic. The llamas were really well behaved. “We were a bit worried that they would be bad-tempered or start stealing drinks, but they were used to the occasion and dealing with people. “They let you come up to them and pet them, and get your picture taken – they were really, really friendly.” The couple performed a traditional Peruvian folk dance, accompanied by a Peruvian band. But it was the llamas - provided by Lakeland Llama Treks of Keswick that stole the show.

(IANA) – On the quotes of predicative website of Peru, in the first six months of 2007 the volume of exports of Asparagus has had a rise of 60 percent and America possesses the first position in the list of importers of this product from Peru with a purchased value of over One Hundred and 57 Million Dollars. According to the statistics of the Exporters’ Association of Peru, America was at the first position of other 42 importer countries with 36 percent of imports and Spain was the second with 21 percent of imports. 13 percent of exports of this product was for France, 10 percent for Netherlands, 5 percent for England and 4 percent for Germany. The highest level of demand for Asparagus in the world was for conserved and the lowest was for frozen.

Have you been to Adams Morgan lately? The picture isn't so pretty. Eighteenth Street has become one tired and boozy stretch of too many bars and too few serious places to eat. Bright spots are few, but one of them is Las Canteras, a quietly ambitious restaurant that prompts another question: Why aren't there more Peruvian restaurants in the Washington area? The food from that part of the world is easy to like, built as it is around potatoes and surf and turf. And the repertoire dishes up plenty of personality. Just ask anyone who has dipped a piece of bread in the country's condiment of choice -- the sneakily hot salsa picante -- or knocked back a pisco sour, Peru's national cocktail. There's a sparkplug in this style of cooking, one of South America's most appealing exports.

Several years ago, the aquatic press reported on a fish called Nannostomus sp. "Peru" or "Peru Red", which was the name under which this species had been imported into Europe. Photographs caused great interest, and its arrival was eagerly awaited. Apparently, the fish was found in a remote area of the Peruvian forests, and transporting them to an export station in Lima was difficult. This probably explained why the fish supplied to the Czechoslovakian market were in poor condition and difficult to acclimatise. They were thin, eating only brineshrimp nauplii, and they seemed to die for no apparent reason. This, combined with a high price, accounted for the first reported breeding, by Bork, being only as recent as 2001.

July 31, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Peru's new National Selection Soccer Coach, José Guillermo "Chemo" Del Solar is to arrive in Lima, Peru tonight and begin his work on taking Peru's National Soccer Team to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. After having been absent from the World Cup for 25 years, Peru's new coach has taken on the task of qualifying for this world championship. Del Solar is to arrive at Jorge Chavez International Airport at 11:30 p.m. (04:30 GMT) on flight 530 LAN, which is departing from Santiago de Chile. The members which are to make up his coaching staff, Marcelo Asteggiano - the coach's assistant and Alejandro Ricino - the physical trainer, are to arrive tomorrow. This was Del Solar's staff for Sporting Cristal and for Católica Universtiy.

July 30, 2007

July 30 (Bloomberg) -- Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori failed to win a seat in Japan's upper house yesterday after campaigning from Chile where he is under house arrest. Fujimori won 51,411 votes in yesterday's vote, according to the People's New Party, which sponsored his bid, falling short of the ballots needed to win a seat in the House of Councilors. Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost control of the Upper House in the election. Fujimori, 69, earlier this month defeated Peru's efforts to extradite him on corruption and human rights charges after a Chilean judge found that evidence against him was insufficient. The Peruvian government's lawyers were instructed to appeal the ruling the same day it came out. The son of Japanese immigrants, Fujimori fled to Japan in 2000 as his presidency collapsed amid charges of corruption. Japan recognized him as a citizen and denied Peru's requests to send him back. He holds both Peruvian and Japanese citizenship.

July 30, 2007

The regional government of Cusco, Peru has banned genetically modified (GM) products in the region to protect the diversity of thousands of native potato varieties and other Andean food crops. The order was announced on July 20, 2007. It forbids GM research and the sale, cultivation, use and transport of GM products in the Cusco region. Abel Caballero, head of the regional government's natural resources and environment department, said the government made the decision after considering the risk of genetic and environmental contamination from GM products, as well as the threat to people's health and their ancient culture. Instead of GM, the government will support organic agriculture, Caballero told SciDev.Net. "Small farmers from the highlands cannot be forced into high productivity. It's better to carry on supporting their use of traditional farming practices to produce clean organic products," he said. Around 4,000 varieties of native potato exist in the Andean region, most of them cultivated organically, without pesticides or agricultural chemicals. Cusco is one of the main centres of potato diversity, with nearly 2,000 varieties identified. 

July 30, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- "Sensational, fabulous, I didn't know that there were artists of this magnitude in Peru." These were just some of the comments made by Latin American fans that gathered at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas. In a concert that lasted almost 3 hours, the audience was able to enjoy Gianmarco, who is famous in Peru and several Latin American countries. This was Gianmarco's first time in the "Space City" of Houston, as he tries to make his way into a very difficult American market. Despite the fact that Peru's Gianmarco has written songs for Alejandro Fernandez, Marc Anthony and Gloria Estefan - who won a Grammy for the song "Hoy" - he is not well known in the United States. "Up until tonight I didn't know Gianmarco had written the song 'Hoy,'" stated a Colombian at Gianmarco's after party, held in a night club next to the stage. During the concert, the group of almost 3,000 people stood up several times to give Gianmarco a standing ovation. He has been compared by Houston critics to Colombian singer Carlos Vives, not because of his music but because of the way Gianmarco is spreading Peruvian music the way Carlos Vives has spread Colombian music.

July 30, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Huascarán is a mountain in the Province of Yungay -Cordillera Blanca, part of the Western Andes. At 22,132 feet, its southern peak (Huascarán Sur) is the highest in Peru and the fourth highest in South America. This is the peak a Utah lawmaker and his brother plan to scale to raise funds for a nonprofit group aiming to benefit millions of Americans with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and hundreds of thousands of Americans with kidney failure who are on dialysis. Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, and his brother, Nord will embark on the journey, which is planned to take 5 days, in order to raise $12 thousand for the Kidney TRUST.

July 29, 2007

West New York, like many of the surrounding municipalities of North Hudson, has a longstanding history of welcoming and becoming a home for many cultures throughout the world, and continues to welcome new members of the community everyday. As a way of showing pride in their diverse community, for the last several years the township recognizes and celebrates the history of the people of these various nations. "Number one, it shows the diversity of West New York," said Mayor Silverio "Sal" Vega. "Number two, it's to let every single person of the community know that this is their town hall and that their elected officials answer to them." Last Wednesday, West New York recognized and celebrated the Independence Day of Peru, which is on July 28, by hosting a commemoration event honoring several residents of Peruvian background and raised the flag of Peru in front of town hall. "They have made [great] contributions within our community," said Vega. "We have come together to celebrate their culture. I was very happy to [recognize them] for being a part of the West New York community as a whole. It was great to highlight this celebration today."

July 29, 2007

Dressed in brightly colored, traditional Peruvian garments, dancers from Club Peru Pensacola celebrated Peruvian Independence Day on Saturday at Miraflores Park near downtown Pensacola. Peru gained its independence from Spain on July 28, 1821, and Saturday's celebration marked the 186th anniversary of the nation's freedom. About 100 people attended the event, which was sponsored by Club Peru and the Peruvian Association of Pensacola. The celebration featured traditional Peruvian dance, cuisine, music and art. Gonzalo Mejia, spokesman for Club Peru, said the goal of the event was to share Peru's culture and heritage with the people of Pensacola. Mejia said America has long been a country of diverse inhabitants and believes Pensacola has become more culturally varied in recent years. "We wanted everyone to take part," he said. "You don't have to be Peruvian to enjoy this. It's about different people of different backgrounds getting together." Susy Mastrangelo, president of Club Peru, which formed two years ago, said the celebration also is important to teach the younger generation of Peruvian-Americans, who were born in the U.S., about their past. "Most of our children do not practice the culture or language," she said. "We want to make sure we can pass our culture to the next generation." Mastrangelo estimated that about 100 Peruvian families reside in Pensacola, but the Club has only 75 members. "You don't have to be Peruvian to join the club," Mejia said.

July 28, 2007

MUNICH, Germany: Roque Santa Cruz signed a four-year contract with Blackburn on Saturday. The 25-year-old Peru forward will join the Rovers on Aug. 1 after the English club agreed to pay Bayern Munich a €5 million (US$6.8 million) transfer fee. Santa Cruz joined Bayern at age 17 in 1999, but has often been injured and failed to secure a regular starting spot. He became expendable when Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose and Jan Schlaudraff were signed. During eight seasons with Bayern, Santa Cruz scored 31 goals in 155 Bundesliga games and seven in 51 Champion League matches. Santa Cruz won five Bundesliga titles and the 2001 Champions League with Bayern.

July 27, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- 2,000 liters of Peru's Pisco will flow from the fountain in the Plaza de Armas in downtown Lima today, so that anyone that would like to savor this Peruvian drink, in its 4 variations - Quebranta, Italia, Acholado, Mosto verde - can do so. The Municipality of Lima, with the help of Peru's Wong Corporation, has organized this Pisco tasting event, which is to begin at noon today, in honor of Pisco and of Peru's 186th Independence Day. Chalanes (Peruvian horse trainers / riders) and Peruvian Paso horses, will make their way to the Main Plaza at 3 p.m., where they are to take part in a grand Criollo event, with the participation of artists such as Bartola and Perú Negro. The event is to last until 11:30 p.m. and will culminate in a splendid fireworks display that will light up Historic downtown Lima. The Municipality of Lima held the first "Fountain of Pisco" event in July 2004 at the Fortune Fountain on the 5th block of Arequipa Avenue. The following year, and in 2006 the events were held at the Plaza de Armas.

July 27, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- The Surfers' Hall of Fame celebrated its 10th Anniversary this year with the inductions of Sofia Mulanovich, Al Merrick, Bruce Irons and Martin Potter. Huntington Surf and Sport store owner Aaron Pai, has stated that the inductees have been chosen because they have had a major impact on the sport and the world of surf, having revolutionized the sport and influenced millions of surfers across the globe. The ceremony was held today at 10 a.m. at Huntington Beach, California. Sofia Mulanovich is the first South American surfer to have been granted this tremendous honor. "I'm happy, it's incredible, all of my heroes are here. It feels terrific, the best surfers in the world, all the legends, I'm the first South American and it's an honor to be there," stated Mulanovich from Huntington Beach, California. Sofia Mulanovich was born on June 24, 1983 in Punta Hermosa, Lima, Peru. In 2004, she was the first Peruvian surfer ever to win an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour (WCT). She became the first South American (man or woman) to ever win the World Title. She has also won the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, U.S. Open of Surfing and the Surfer Poll (2004 and 2005).

July 27, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Peru's Independence Day is celebrated every year in New Jersey, U.S.A. with an exciting and grand parade. This year the 22nd Parade, to be held in honor of Peru's Independence Day on Sunday July 29, hopes to bring together over 80 thousand Peruvians from all parts the the U.S. Manuel Paredes, President of Peruvian Parade Inc., the entity responsible for organizing the event, told Efe that this traditional parade leads the events which are held in commemoration of Peru's Independence Day, July 28. Two special guests at this parade will be Miss World 2004, Maju Mantilla who is to be the parade marshal and Peruvian Huayno singer Dina Paucar who will be the National Godmother. The parade will have an 8 mile route, beginning at Main Avenue in Passaic, then cutting through the city of Clifton until it reaches Paterson. "This event is a great family and Peruvian Community reunion in the U.S. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate as a family, pridefully carrying our flag's colors and showing off our culture and traditions," stated Paredes. He added that this year's parade will have colorful floats, live music and typical Peruvian food in honor of all of the Peruvians living in the United States.

July 27, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Due to the color, lighting, music and beauty of the fountains, the Magical Water Tour will be a place of reflection and inspiration for all Peruvians, stated Peru's President Alana Garcia, alongside Lima's Mayor Luis Castañeda at the inauguration of the new attraction last night. Peru's Chief of State pointed out that the new fountains, built at the Parque de la Reserva, will equip Peru's capital city with an attraction that other countries around the world also have. On that note he stated that the 13 ornamental fountains would quickly become, in short time, one of Peru's main tourist attractions and contribute to the country's image, the same way Machu Picchu has. The President added that the Parque de la Reserva was the adequate place for the beautiful works of art. Garica went on to congratulate Mayor Castañeda for having headed the construction of a sight which could now be appreciated by many. Mayor Castañeda stated that having the best fountains in the world and having participated in such a project had been a dream come true.

July 27, 2007

In an impressive light and water show, mixed with music and images, Lima, Peru's new Magical Water Tour was inaugurated last night at Lima's Parque de la Reserva. Lima's Mayor Luis Castañeda accompanied by Peru's President, Alan Garcia held the ceremony which has opened the park to the public. It was revealed that the park has already been recognized by Guinness Records as the public park with the largest fountain complex in the world. The park is a route of 13 fountains, one of which has a water display that shoots water 80 meters into the sky.

July 26, 2007

"Celebra Peru", organized by the Peruvian Promotion Commission for Exportation and Tourism (PromPeru), was a parade in which Peruvians had the opportunity to enjoy their culture, identity and beauty, while taking part in the second year of this National Parade. The beauty of typical dances from the coast, the highlands and the jungle were shown off in this colorful parade. The main objective of Celebra Peru was to generate and strengthen Peru's national identity in one of Peru's main touristic markets, Lima. The picturesque and magical event began at 6 p.m. at San Martín Plaza, making its way along Jirón de la Unión to finally end at Plaza Mayor, where participants and the presidents of the 25 departments were received by Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Mercedes Araoz. A special event at the parade was the "Concierto de Campanas" or Bell Concert, in which the bells of 3 different temples near Plaza Mayor were rung at the same time, creating a captivating sound. As this went on the sky was beautifully lit with colorful fireworks.

July 25, 2007

Lima - Peru has recovered 18 archaeological pieces, including a pre-Columbian copper funeral mask, smuggled out of the country and later handed over voluntarily by a German collector, officials said on Tuesday. The collector turned in the pieces to the Peruvian consulate in Hamburg in 2004, because he "considered it his moral responsibility to restore this part of Peru's archaeological heritage, which had been illegally removed from our country", the foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry said it took more than two years to repatriate the objects because they had to be authenticated and insured for shipment. Among the objects are small animal sculptures and ceramics that likely belonged to the pre-Incan Chimu, Viru and Mochica cultures, the president of Peru's cultural institute, Cecilia Bakula, told journalists. "The pieces are extraordinary," she said. "The quality of these pieces is very good." For years looters have snuck artifacts out of Peru, including valuable jewels and precious objects from ancient Indian cultures as well as colonial art works. In September last year a 1 300-year-old gold headdress representing the likeness of a sea god was handed over to cultural authorities after it was located by British police in London. And in June the United States returned 412 ancient Peruvian artifacts seized in a Florida smuggling investigation.

July 18, 2007

(Xinhua) -- Peru's national soccer team has risen14 places in the world ranking published by the sport's governing body, the International Federation of Association Football, following its Copa America performance, Peru's Football Federation said on Wednesday. Peru is now the world's No. 50 team, ahead of regional peers Ecuador at 53rd, Venezuela at 56th and Bolivia at 68. However, it is still a long way behind the world's top team Brazil. The recently concluded Copa America saw Peru crush Uruguay 3-0, then losing to Venezuela 0-2 before drawing with Bolivia 2-2. It qualified from Group A but was knocked out by Argentina in the quarterfinals.

July 16, 2007

She faced grueling climbs, rocky boat rides, dangerous mountain villages, stomach-wrenching illnesses – even bad-tempered, spitting llamas. But UC Irvine scientist Amy Townsend-Small, 30, laughs about the troubles she encountered on her trek through the Amazon River basin and the Andes Mountains. What really disturbed her was the condition of the river itself. Her repeated visits to the Peruvian back country over the years revealed an unmistakeable trend: one of the world's wettest ecosystems was getting very, very dry. "I was in a boat that ran aground," she said of her last trip, in 2005. "This is the biggest river in the world. It's not normal for that to happen." Townsend-Small is a biogeochemist – someone who studies the relationship between molecules and the living environment. She and her co-authors have published some of their findings, and recently completed a broader series of papers they are also seeking to publish in a scientific journal. She hopes to help the public, and other scientists, to understand the dramatic changes occurring in the Amazon. "These changes are faster than you would expect a natural system to change," she said.

July 16, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Peru's volleyball team defeated Mexico in a grueling match which ended 3-0 yesterday afternoon. Playing at the Novo Maracanazinho Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Peru's women are representing the country excellently in this years XV Pan American Games. The Pan American Games, celebrated every 4 years between competitors from all nations of the Americas, are being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 13 July to 29 July with an estimated 5,500 athletes from 42 countries in 38 sports. With an estimated 2,000 people observing, Peru's red and white squad of female players put in their best effort to finally defeat Mexico (25-16, 25-23, 25-17) and have a shot at the semifinals.

July 16, 2007

HOUSTON, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 07/16/07 -- This July, Cordúa entertainment brings international flair to Houston's art scene as Grammy-Winning Peruvian Pop Singer and heartthrob Gianmarco performs live in concert at Downtown Houston's Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Joining "Sweet Charity" and "Go, Diego, Go" on HCPA's summer calendar, Gianmarco will lend a shot of diversity to the center's current theater lineup. The concert will be held July 28 in the Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall and is scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range in price from $20 - $75 and may be purchased by phone at (713) 315-2525 or online at www.thehobbycenter.org. Light concessions, featuring traditional Latin fare provided by Artista Restaurant, will be available for purchase before the show. Originally from Peru, Gianmarco is widely recognized throughout Hispanic countries for the success of his nine albums and numerous television appearances. In 2004, with the release of his seventh album "Resucitar," Gianmarco received a Grammy in the category of Best Singer-Songwriter Album. His compositions for well-known artists Gloria Estefan (#1 hit "Hoy"), Marc Anthony and Thalia also have earned him international acclaim.

July 15, 2007

LAN Airlines' Board has agreed to incorporate 32 Boeing 787 Dreamliner long-haul aircraft to the Company’s fleet between 2011 and 2016. LAN will purchase 26 aircraft, and acquire 6 more via leasing contracts. The total investment will reach approximately US$ 3.2 billion. Additionally, the Board approved 10 purchase options of the same aircraft model for 2017 and 2018. This is the largest investment in the company’s history. The 787 Dreamliner model is estimated to commence commercial operations by year-end 2008. Customers should be able to enjoy a more pleasant in-flight experience due to the technological advances featured inside the passenger cabin. In addition, the Dreamliner is fuel efficient, emitting roughly 20% less emissions, and is considered an ecologically friendly airplane. The aircraft has the capacity to seat between 250 and 300 passengers, in two classes, depending on model type (787-8 and 787-9). These new aircraft will allow LAN to operate new international routes that will be added to LAN alliance’s current network including LAN Peru, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Airlines.

July 15, 2007

Southeastern Peru is arguably the most biodiverse place on the planet. A new highway project, already under construction, poses a great threat to this biological richness as well as indigenous groups that live in the region. While it’s too late to stop the road, called the Carretera Transoceanica or Interoceanic Highway, there are ways to reduce its impact on the forest ecosystem and its inhabitants. A new proposal, backed by a group of well-respected researchers, argues that turning parts of the highway into a toll road could help pay for conservation efforts that will mitigate damage to the surrounding rainforest. Organizers are asking supports to sign a petition that will then be presented to the Peruvian president.

July 13, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- The Municipality of Lima's Mayor, Luis Castañeda Lossio has announced that the construction of the Lima's underground Central Station will begin on Monday July 16. The first phase of construction is to cut and remove the entire "Paseo de los Héroes Navales", a monument/park in front of the Sheraton Hotel, and commence excavation. Lima, Peru's Mayor stated that this construction is crucial in the development of public transportation in Peru's capital city and will place the city of Lima as one of the most advanced in the world. He also pointed out that construction will take about a year and cost $18 million. Castañeda explainded that this was the most modern and important change that has happened in Lima and when viewed from an architectural perspective, the underground station will be one of the most modern constructions in South America. Mayor Castañeda explained that people will be able to commute freely and comfortably, being able to take advantage of organized schedules and bus stops. He stated that commuters will save much more time, a 3 hour trip from Chorrillos to Comas will take 40 minutes when the project is finished.

July 13, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto continues to be praised and recognized internationally. Prestigious Swiss-German editorial, Orell Füssli has placed de Soto among the top economists in the world, naming him one of the most important economists of all time. Orell Füssli has released a new book, The twelve most important economists of all time in which Hernando de Soto has been placed with Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Carlos Marx, León Walras, John Maynard Keynes, Friedrich August von Hayek, Peter Drucker, Milton Friedman, John Forbes Nash, Amartya Sen and Joseph Stiglitz. It is important to note that not many of the chosen economists are still alive. In 1999, Peru's Hernando de Soto was recognized by Time magazine, in its special issue Leaders of the New Millennium as one of the five leading Latin American innovators of the century. He was also included among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004. Forbes magazine, in its 85th anniversary edition, listed him as one of the 15 innovators "who will reinvent your future."

July 12, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Alternate routes and detours, which were previously established and chosen by the government, were begun to be put in use by motorists today at 6 a.m. The streets around "Paseo de los Héroes Navales", a park/monument located in front of the Sheraton Hotel, have been closed so an evaluation of the area can be done before excavation, for Lima's new underground Central Station, begins. Detours will have to continue being taken from now until the construction of the Central Station, which is to begin on Monday the 16, is completed. To have an effective detour route, the Municipality of Lima - in coordination with Peru's National Police (PNP), have carefully planned the most efficient way for motorists to get around this central part of the city. Peru's National Police have provided the assistance of 60 extra officers to help make sure that traffic moves smoothly. Peru's General Manager of Protransporte explained that during the first phase of this project, the entire monument/park in front of the Justice Palace, will be cut and removed like a huge jigsaw puzzle. When the underground Central Station is finished, not only will everything be put back in its place but there will also be many improvements. The grand station is to occupy 7 thousand square meters, of which 5,300 will be an underground shopping center.

July 10, 2007

LIMA, Peru (AP) - Princess Anne toured a potato gene bank partly funded by the British government during a visit to the Peruvian capital on Monday. Wearing a knee-length yellow coat over a navy blue dress, Princess Anne helped dig a traditional pit for cooking potatoes and meat underground - known in Peru as a  “pachamanca” at the International Potato Center, a nonprofit entity that stores the genetic information of some 4,500 tuber varieties. The British government donated some US$1.2 million to the center in 2005, said Zoraida Portillo, a spokeswoman for the organization. During her four-day visit to the Andean nation, the princess has also met with Peru's vice president and representatives of a British charity that works with abandoned children in the jungle city of Iquitos.

July 9, 2007

A Dutch adventurer has overcome constant ram raids by sharks and a broken freshwater pump to successfully row solo halfway from Peru to Brisbane. Ralph Tuijn, 35, set off in a custom-made vessel from South America in March, planning to row across the widest part of the Pacific Ocean - a distance of over 16,000 kilometres - without assistance. Last week he made it to the halfway mark of his journey, a pinpoint in the ocean, 111 days after setting off. The father of one expects to reach Brisbane in September. An experienced rower, Tuijn has previously cycled across Greenland and Russia. A daily internet log of Tuijn's trip updated via a laptop onboard his boat, the Zeeman Challenger, describes the daily obstacles he has had to overcome. "A lot of shark violence again in the evening," he wrote a day after crossing the halfway mark.”

July 9, 2007

BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela, July 8 (Reuters) - Peru coach Julio Cesar Uribe admitted his team could not cope with Argentina's depth of talent in their 4-0 Copa America quarter-final defeat on Sunday. "The result says what happened," said Uribe. "Argentina had the variations and superior talent. We gave it our best effort but we were well and truly beaten. It's part of football." Uribe fielded five defenders in his starting line-up but his team fell apart when Juan Roman Riquelme broke the deadlock in the first minute of the second half. Injuries to defender Edgar Villamarin and striker Paolo Guerrero added to Peru's troubles in the second half. "They are a great team and they have a great bench as well," said Uribe, after Argentina brought on Carlos Tevez, Pablo Aimar and Fernando Gago in the second half. "It's very difficult to contain a team with so many variations, so much talent. The first goal undid all the good work we had done in the first half."

July 9, 2007

President George W. Bush urged Congress to ratify a free-trade agreement with Peru as his top trade official said Democrats are making unprecedented demands that may delay the deal for months. ``I'd like to see the Peruvian deal done by the beginning of August,'' Bush told a conference in Arlington, Virginia, today. ``We can send a clear signal to our neighborhood that we want you to be prosperous, that we want to help you realize your potential.'' Democrats say Peru and Panama, which negotiated free-trade agreements with the Bush administration, must strengthen their labor and environmental laws before Congress will vote on those accords. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel said June 29 that he will travel to Peru and Panama in August to discuss those changes, which means a vote won't occur until later this year.

July 9, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines has set a goal to increase the number of homes in rural areas that have electricity by 78 to 93 percent. It is planned that 1 million people in rural areas will be able to have electricity within the next few years. Minister of Energy and Mines Juan Valdivia has informed that the government has budgeted 500 million soles to be invested this year and that the total budget for 2007 and 2008 is 750 million soles. Valdivia stated that the government has made a tremendous effort, which can be seen in the 500 percent budget increase, to provide electricity for people in rural areas. This weekend, Minister Valdivia inaugurated a project which will benefit 1,300 people with electricity in the area of Morupillo, Pítipo district, located in Ferreñafe province in the region of Lambayeque.

July 9, 2007

After years of anticipation and over 100 million votes, the new seven wonders of the world were finally announced in Lisbon on Saturday. Not everybody was happy with the results. In the end, of course, it was little more than a popularity contest. By midnight on Friday, the number of people who had cast their ballots for the new seven wonders of the world had risen to 100 million. And in a glitzy presentation on Saturday in Lisbon, the winners were announced: the Great Wall of China, the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue, Machu Picchu in Peru, the Mayan city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico, Rome's Colosseum and India's Taj Mahal. The announcements set off mini-celebrations around the world with Jordanians firing off fireworks in the capital Amman and revellers dancing into the early morning in Petra itself. Other impromptu parties took place at Chichen Itza, Rio de Janeiro and in Peru as locals celebrated their inclusion on the exclusive list of seven.

July 8, 2007

The new seven wonders of the world were named Saturday following an online vote that generated server-crushing traffic in its final hours. The final tally produced this list of the world's top human-built wonders:

Before the vote ended Friday, organizers said more than 90 million votes had been cast for 21 sites.

July 6, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- A mixture of excitement, tension, enthusiasm and suspense fill the air in Qosqo, Peru - "bellybutton of the world." The international contest, The New 7 Wonders of the World, organized by the New Open World Corporation (NOWC), will come to its end tomorrow July 7. Internet cafe's in Cusco have been packed since last Wednesday, with natives and people from all over the world voting for Machu Picchu to be considered among the 7 Wonders of the World. Yesterday, due to a lack of places to vote for the Incan Sanctuary, the Municipality of Cusco set up 50 internet stands with high broadband connections so people could continue putting in their votes. This is being provided by the Municipality free of charge. These complementary internet booths have attracted people from all over Cusco. Children, adolescents, adults and even grandparents have gone to the booths, some having never used a computer before, created their e-mail accounts and voted for Cusco.

July 4, 2007

LIMA, (Reuters) - Peru striker Jefferson Farfan has sustained a badly swollen ankle although he still had a chance of featuring in the Copa America, team doctor Hugo Blacido said on Wednesday. 'It's rather worrying because the ankle is very painful,' Blacido told the RPP radio station from Venezuela. 'From a medical point of view, in an ordinary person, it would not be possible to recover in four or five days. 'But we hope that with Jefferson's muscular strength and his determination, he can be ready in time.' Peru snatched a 2-2 draw with Bolivia on Tuesday to finish second in Group A and qualify for the quarter-finals. They face the eventual Group C winners - either Paraguay or Argentina - in Barquisimeto on Sunday.

July 4, 2007

RIO DE JANEIRO, (Xinhua) -- Brazil and Peru will make joint efforts to protect the Amazon forest, said a statement issued by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's office on Wednesday. As part of their joint efforts, Peru will allow Brazil's aircraft to fly over its territory to produce high-definition images which will be used in the studies of the Protection System of the Amazon Forest (SIPAM), a Brazilian project for the Amazon's protection. The Brazilian side will also offer technical courses for Peru, in preparation for the analysis of the data obtained. Their cooperation was a fruit of a visit in June to Peru by a Brazilian committee. The committee, coordinated by SIPAM's Managing and Operation Center, expressed Brazil's interests in developing a bilateral plan to protest the Amazon, an interest echoed by Peru.

June 29, 2007

WASHINGTON - Agriculture was taking root in South America almost as early as the first farmers were breaking ground in the Middle East, new research indicates. Evidence that squash was being grown nearly 10,000 years ago, in what is now Peru, is reported in Friday's edition of the journal Science. A team led by anthropologist Tom D. Dillehay of Vanderbilt University also uncovered remains of peanuts from 7,600 years ago and cotton dated to 5,500 years ago in the floors and hearths of sites in the Nanchoc Valley of northern Peru. "We believe the development of agriculture by the Nanchoc people served as a catalyst for cultural and social changes that eventually led to intensified agriculture, institutionalized political power and new towns in the Andean highlands and along the coast 4,000 to 5,500 years ago," Dillehay said. Dolores Piperno, curator for archaeobotany and South American archaeology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, said the report "adds to the accumulating data for agriculture in the Americas as old or nearly as old as that in the Old World, provides evidence for the domestication of a major species of squash native to South America, and documents ancient peanuts and quinoa."

June 26, 2007

Archeologists in Sarpsborg have found one thousand year old skeletal remains that appear to be Incan. The skeletal remains were found during conservations work at St. Nicolas church in Sarpsborg, a city 73 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of Oslo, NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) reports. When archeologists were to move some rose bushes they made the surprising discovery of the remains of two older men and a baby. "When we were about to take hold under the rose bush the skeletal remains slid out. It was quite surprising," Mona Beate Buckholm, archeologist at the Borgarsyssel Museum, told NRK. One of the skulls had characteristics that indicate he was an Inca, the South American people centered in Peru. "There is a bone in the neck that hasn't grown and this is an inherited characteristic only found among Inca Indians in Peru. This is sensational," Buckholm said. The archeologists now plan to try and find out what the man was doing in Østfold, and how he came there.

June 25, 2007

Peru's Celebration of the Guinea Pig Includes Biggest, Best-Dressed and the Tastiest. Peru's celebration of the guinea pig included contests for the biggest, the best-dressed and the tastiest. The second annual festival of the cuy, as guinea pigs are known in the Andes, brought brass bands into the streets of highland Churin on Sunday to celebrate all things related to the furry rodents. "Zero cholesterol! Protein for anemia!" Teresa Figeroa shouted from under her woven, flower-lined hat. For 20 soles ($7), she sold plates of guinea pig fried, grilled, baked even cuy au vin with generous helpings of Andean potatoes and large Peruvian corn called choclo. Foreigners may cringe at seeing the critters served for lunch, looking much like they did in life, face down on a bed of greens. But people came from across Peru to savor the meat and to compete in a cuy cookoff. There was also a competition for the biggest guinea pig; the winner weighed in at almost 8 pounds of flesh, fat and fur. And some competed in a fashion show of traditional Andean dress, with guinea pigs decked out in fedoras and frilly skirts looking like Disney cartoons come to life. But the food was the main event. "This isn't common," said Nicolas Campos Sanchez, his lips shiny with grease as he ate a mouthful of barbecued guinea pig. "We're very proud of it."

June 25, 2007

It has long been known that Viking explorers, traders, and settlers made their way across the North Atlantic, first to the North Sea Islands, then to Iceland and Greenland, and even to the Newfoundland area of North America. But the accepted narrative is that the forays into the American continent proper were brief, and their contact with the native peoples there was nasty, brutish, and short. But a 1000 year old skeleton found in a burial ground in Norway shows traits usually only found in Inca Indians.

June 25, 2007

LIMA, Peru (AP) -- Cameron Diaz apologized Sunday for carrying a bag with a political slogan that evoked painful memories in Peru. The voice of Princess Fiona in the animated "Shrek" films visited the Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru's Andes on Friday carrying an olive green bag emblazoned with a red star and the words "Serve the People" printed in Chinese, perhaps Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong's most famous political slogan. The bags are marketed as fashion accessories in some world capitals, but in Peru the slogan evokes memories of the Maoist Shining Path insurgency that fought the government in the 1980s and early 1990s in a bloody conflict that left nearly 70,000 people dead. "I sincerely apologize to anyone I may have inadvertently offended. The bag was a purchase I made as a tourist in China and I did not realize the potentially hurtful nature of the slogan printed on it," Diaz said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press.

June 25, 2007

Huge and distant cousins of today’s ice-loving penguins might have basked in a warm climate along the Peruvian coast more than 30 million years ago, fossils of two extinct penguin species suggest. One of the ancient birds sported a seven-inch beak and stood at five feet tall, which would have dwarfed even the heavyweights of today, the Emperor penguins. Currently, 17 penguin species inhabit the globe, ranging in size from the two-pound, 16-inch little blue penguin to the 84-pound, 4.3-foot Emperor penguin. The skeletal bones and two complete skulls suggest the warm-weather penguins were deep divers and could “fly” through the water with the grace of their modern kin, scooping up fish along the way. The findings, detailed online this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, call into question the established idea that penguins evolved in high latitudes and didn’t waddle close to the equator until about 10 million years ago—long after Earth cooled significantly.

June 25, 2007

AYMARA, Peru — The humble potato puts on a dazzling display at 13,000 feet above sea level. Along the frigid spine of the Andes, men and women in bare feet uproot tubers of multiple shapes and colors — yellow, red, blue, purple, violet, pink with yellow spots, yellow with pink spots; round, oblong, twisted, hooked at the end like walking canes or spiraled like spinning tops. Their names in Quechua, the ancient language of the Andes, evoke an intimate human connection: "best black woman," "best red woman," "makes the daughter-in-law cry," "like a deer's white tongue," "red shadow" and "like an old bone," to name a few. Respect for the many variations of potatoes is so profound among Aymara's 650 villagers that it was a natural place for the world's agronomists to produce seeds for a gene bank to preserve their diversity. The cold climate also protects against parasites that infest low-lying potato farms.

June 25, 2007

James Randerson

With their immaculate dinner-suit plumage, smiley beaks and cute waddling gait, penguins are some of the most unusual and endearing members of the bird kingdom. A new fossil find, however, has revealed that one of their ancestors was a far more fearsome beast. The fossil, which was discovered in Peru and is described today in detail by scientists reveals a creature that was over 1.5 metres tall and weighed as much as a person. The 36 million year old tropical bird's intimidating appearance was topped off with powerful forearms, a chunky neck and a potentially vicious 18 centimetre long spear-like beak. The discovery of the giant penguin is also shaking up scientists' understanding of penguin evolution. The finds indicate that penguins made the journey to equatorial regions much earlier in their evolutionary history than researchers had realised.

June 25, 2007

Peruvian team trainer, Javier Arce feels confident and is sure that Peru's team is physically prepared to play against Uruguay in Copa América's debut on June 26. Arce told Peru's Andina News Agency, "Physical work will be fundamental at this year's Copa América, Peru has worked hard on this and is ready to play against any rival and make history at this tournament." Arce also indicated that Peru is taking part in Copa América with a balanced team.

June 25, 2007

The Imperial Incan City of Cusco has proven to be a magnet not only for tourists from around the world but also for several celebrities. In the past month Cusco has had visits from Aussie-Brit singer and actress Oliva Newton John and American actress Cameron Diaz. We can now add to to the list chairman of Microsoft Corp. and multi-billionaire, Bill Gates. Bill Gates arrived to Cusco and immediately went to Machu Picchu on June 22. He returned to his hotel in Cusco that same night on nothing less than the luxurious "Hiram Bingham" train which left Machu Picchu's train station at 6:15 p.m. The multi-billionaire was present at yesterday's Inti Raymi or Sun Festival where he was surrounded by security agents which attempted to keep Gates from being photographed or filmed.

June 25, 2007

More than 1,500 of Huancavelica's townspeople will be assisted by the non-profit organization known as the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS), an organization of Peruvian doctors that reside in the United States. For two weeks, a commission of 40 doctors specializing in areas such as cardiology, paediatric care, gynecology and other specialties will assist the townspeople and perform surgical procedures which may be needed. Doctors and students from San Marcos University will also travel to Huancavelica to join in the effort with PAMS. To further help in this campaign, a donation of 4 tons of medicine and medical equipment - valued at $200 thousand - will be made to the Hospital of Huancavelica.

June 25, 2007

According to world figures in 2005, the main exporters of fresh bananas were Ecuador and Costa Rica. The main importing countries were US and Belgium. The production zones of organic bananas are located on the regions of Tumbes, Piura and Lambayeque. In Peru, 100% of the banana exports are organic. National trends: In 2006 organic banana exports accounted for about US$27 million where fresh produce summed 98% and processed 2%.The 2% corresponds to dried bananas. In this year fresh organic banana exports amounted to 3.15 million boxes with a value of US$26,54 million.

June 25, 2007

Danny Devito is 4'11" tall. These penguins topped out at 5 feet, and lived during a particularly sweltering time in Earth's history. 36 million years ago Icadyptes salasi plied the waters off the southern coast of Peru. "We tend to think of penguins as being cold-adapted species," says Julia Clarke, a paleontologist at North Carolina State University, "even the small penguins in equatorial regions today, but the new fossils date back to one of the warmest periods in the last 65 million years of Earth's history. The evidence indicates that penguins reached low latitude regions more than 30 million years prior to our previous estimates."

June 25, 2007

Ornamental fish exports in Peru have been the subject of a recent study, and a worrying trend towards the export of species biologically unsuited to heavy exploitation has been identified. Publishing their results in the most recent issue of the journal Environmental Conservation, Marie-Annick Moreau of University College London and Oliver Coomes of McGill University examined the ornamental fish export trade in Peru for 2001 and found an increasing trend towards exporting large species with low fecundity (eg stingrays and Silver arowanas) and small, geographically restricted species (eg pistogramma species) for new Asian and European markets. The Peruvian ornamental fish export industry was found to be growing since the mid-1990s, after more than a decade of stagnation. In 2001, 28 firms in the trade were identified, officially exporting over nine million fishes worth US$ 2.5 million to 24 countries.

June 24, 2007

In recent years, Jorge Chavez International Airport has been so spectacularly rejuvenated that it inadvertently reinforces an old cliche about the city it serves: Lima - the City of Kings, the capital of Peru, home to 9 million people - is merely a way station for travelers en route to Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Iquitos, Lake Titicaca and Peru's other celebrated attractions. As to what they're missing, they haven't a clue. Not merely is old Lima rich in history, but new Lima is so rich gastronomically as to put just about all the world's other cities to shame. Today it is not merely advisable but mandatory to come to Lima para la cocina: for the food. Please don't ask me to be objective about Peruvian food or, for that matter, anything else in what has become my adopted second home. My wife is a native of Lima, and two years ago we bought an apartment in Miraflores, a district of the capital that was a seaside resort when it was founded in the late 19th century but is now a bustling city unto itself. We don't own a car, not only because taxis are plentiful and cheap but also because we can walk just about everywhere we want to go, including dozens of restaurants that range from haute cuisine to home cooking but have one thing in common: The food is indescribably delicious.

June 24, 2007

June 24 is a very special date in many parts of the world, because in addition to being the longest day of the year, it coincides with the summer solstice (which is why it is the longest day of the year). From the wikipedia entry on the solstice… In the Southern hemisphere, there is a variety of ways to celebrate the winter solstice (at least in Lima, where it is really cold). The most well-known of the celebrations is the Feast of San Juan (St. John), which has been passed down from Spanish traditions. There are a great number of cities and towns that have been named San Juan or that has San Juan as its patron saint, such in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Panama, and Mexico. In Peru, San Juan is the patron saint of the Peruvian Amazon and this is the traditional feast date in the jungle. The most well-known and major feast is celebrated in the warm city of Iquitos, but there are also very lively celebrations in Pucallpa, Tarapoto, Tingo Maria and other cities in the jungle region. Even in Lima, there is a community with its origins from the Amazon and they have started their own celebration of this “charapa” feast. It is assumed that there are religious origins, but that has been put aside. The residents and visitors of this area take part in large parties with food and drink.

June 24, 2007

The stones at Machu Picchu seem almost alive. They may be alive, if you credit the religious beliefs of the ruler Pachacuti Yupanqui, whose subjects in the early 15th century constructed the granite Inca complex, high above a curling river and nestled among jagged green peaks. To honor the spirits that take form as mountains, the Inca stoneworkers carved rock outcrops to replicate their shapes. Doorways and windows of sublimely precise masonry frame exquisite views. But this extraordinary marriage of setting and architecture only partly explains the fame of Machu Picchu today. Just as important is the romantic history, both of the people who built it in this remote place and of the explorer who brought it to the attention of the world. The Inca succumbed to Spanish conquest in the 16th century; and the explorer Hiram Bingham III, whose long life lasted almost as many years as the Inca empire, died in 1956. Like the stones of Machu Picchu, however, the voices of the Inca ruler and the American explorer continue to resonate.

June 24, 2007

LIMA, Peru - Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates visited the ancient Incan capital of Cuzco in Peru and is expected to attend a reenactment of the historic Festival of the Sun. Gates explored the lost Incan city of Machu Picchu Saturday and on Sunday he was to attend a reenactment of Inti Raymi, or the sun festival, a colorful celebration of the winter solstice that is the most important Incan holiday, local media reported. U.S. actress Cameron Diaz is also in Cuzco, the launching point for visits to Machu Picchu, which is Peru’s top tourist destination. Microsoft worked with several universities to develop a Windows version in Quechua, the language of the Incas, which was launched in Peru last year.

June 23, 2007

Tuesday night, the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building was packed enough to give a fire marshal pause. Peru was throwing a Capitol Hill bash to woo politicians and their staffs as part of its campaign for a pending free-trade pact; whether because of interest in trade policy or just the promise of free food and drink, the turnout proved to be more robust than anyone had anticipated. Peru's ambassador, Felipe Ortiz de Zevallos, stepped up to the microphone. Looking out at the crowd with a mix of satisfaction and concern, he blurted, "I hope we have enough Pisco Sours!" A thirty-something staffer standing in front of me lifted her drink in the air and let out a celebratory whoop that demonstrated that she, at least, had had enough Pisco Sours. The national drink of Peru has enjoyed something of a surge of late in trendy, Latin-tinged bars in the U.S. Even so, its most important part -- the grape-brandy called pisco -- can still be difficult to find in heartland liquor stores. And when one does find pisco on the shelves it is just as likely to be from Chile, which boasts a pisco industry that dwarfs Peru's output.

June 22, 2007

“After years of watching Chile progress, Peruvians are hoping to improve their nation's image and match the economic and social developments of their southern neighbor. Peru wants to lower sharply poverty levels, obtain an investment grade debt rating and a free trade deal with the United States, all of which Chile, …has done.  The World Bank's regional director for the Andean region, Marcelo Giugale, said this week Peru has a chance to become the next success story in Latin America. ‘The public policy decisions that are taken in the next five years could place Peru in a development path similar to that Chile, Costa Rica and Spain have followed in the last two decades,’ Giugale said in a speech at the central bank building in Lima. … 

June 22, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Despite the fact that winter officially began yesterday, Peru has had a record breaking wave of cold temperatures for over a month now. Senamhi, the Peruvian weather service, has reported that the Andean highlands have had an average temperature that has been below zero degrees Celcius. Last Friday a state of emergency was declared in the departments of Ayacucho, Apurímac, Arequipa, Cajamarca, Cusco, Junín, Huánuco, Huancavelica, Loreto, Moquegua, Pasco, Puno and Tacna due to the cold. On June 15th, Peru's Government began a crusade in which it collected coats, blankets, shoes and clothes in hopes of aiding the people who have been affected by this cold wave. Peru's National Institute for Civil Defense (INDECI) reported that nearly 38 tons of food, clothes, blankets and shoes have already been collected. All donations are being stored at the National Stadium until they are ready to be shipped out.

June 22, 2007

PAST RECORD
* Winners: 1939, 1975.
RECENT FORM
* Peru have played nine friendlies since last August, winning two, drawing two and losing five. They have not played a competitive match since October 2005, when they beat Bolivia 4-1 in a World Cup qualifier.

June 22, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Hollywood star, Cameron Diaz woke up early today to appreciate an unforgettable sunrise at the Imperial City. This is Cameron's fourth day in Cusco and she has taken full advantage of each day. Accompanied by Freddy Puma -a young leader in Chinchero and Andean culture expert-, Tourism police, members of her production and security crew, Diaz was able to delight in the sun's rays as they rose over the mountains at the archeological capital of America. She enjoyed the sunset from the highest point of the citadel, an esplanade atop an old Incan roof which is used as a vantage point. Diaz was later intrigued when she arrived to the area known as La Cantera where she admired an eagle while taking several pictures of it.

June 22, 2007

Actress and model Molly Sims, musician Benj Gershman and Canadian- born actor Justin Chatwin joined an Operation Smile medical team on an international medical mission to Lima, Peru, to assist children born with facial deformities. The mission, which took place May 24-June 1, included a team of more than 40 medical and non-medical volunteers. As new celebrity Smile Ambassadors, Sims, Gershman and Chatwin join a growing roster of artists and celebrities helping to raise awareness of the work Operation Smile does to treat children around the world suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. Sims, Gershman and Chatwin join Jessica Simpson, Operation Smile’s International Youth Ambassador, and the current list of 25th Anniversary Smile Ambassadors including: Roma Downey, Mark Burnett, Billy Bush, Vanessa and Donald Trump Jr., Melanie Dunea, and Nigel Parry. As Smile Ambassadors, each celebrity will have the opportunity to visit one of Operation Smile’s partner countries during the year, where they will help bring global attention to the needs of children born with facial deformities. While in Peru, the three new Ambassadors participated in all team activities, played with waiting children, took patient photos and assisted with medical records. The team even celebrated Molly Sims’ birthday which took place during the mission.

June 21, 2007

(LIP-ir) -- Cameron Diaz has caused quite a commotion in Qosqo, Peru - "bellybutton of the world." Since her arrival to Velasco Astete Airport on June 19 she has been received with nothing but warm greetings and love.
On Wednesday, the Provincial Municipality of Cusco extended an invitation to the famous American actress to take part in all of the festivities, including Inti Raymi which is to be held on June 24 in Sacsayhuamán. Accompanied by an Andean Priest, the Hollywood actress was happy to take part in a ritual which was to honor Pachamama or Mother Earth. The ritual took place yesterday at Sacsayhuamán Archaeological Park. The ceremony, which was filmed by Cameron's crew, took place at the sacred Huaca de Luna.

June, 2007

According to a study published by archaeologists Ivan Ghezzi, Universidad Católica del Perú and Charles Ruggles, Leicester University UK, there is evidence of the oldest known observatory in the world. They stated that "The towers of Chankillo provide us with evidence of the first solar observations and of the existence of advanced cults to the sun, 2,000 years before the cults made by the Incas from Cusco." Before now, based on the references of the first Spanish chroniclers, it was believed that the first observatories were in the Coricancha region, near Cusco and were constructed by the Moche culture, 600 years after Chankillo. Chankillo was constructed when one of the major religious centers collapsed, Chavin de Huantar, between 200 and 300 B.C.

June 20, 2007

WASHINGTON - The musket blast was sudden and deadly, the killing nearly 500 years ago of what may have been the first gunshot victim in the Western Hemisphere. “We didn’t expect it. We saw this skull and saw the almost round hole and thought people must have been shooting around here recently,” said Guillermo Cock, an archaeologist who found the remains near Lima, Peru. But he realized that the skull was ancient, and a recent bullet strike would simply have shattered