Peru’s ombudswoman has warned the government that the Rimac River, the most important source of potable water for Peru’s desert capital city, Lima, is threatened by possible  arsenic, lead and cadmium contamination from a mining operation upriver in the Andes.
Beatriz Merino, in an open letter to President Alan Garcia’s top Cabinet minister, contended that the […]

The chief of Peru’s Sierra Exportadora, Gastón Benza, called Thursday on President Alan Garcia’s Council of Ministers to approve the construction of 100 potato flour production plants to offset the rising cost of wheat and to promote the export of Peruvian potato bread, “papapan.”
“There is an important demand for potato flour in Europe, Japan and […]

Excerpted editorial from today’s El Comercio newspaper:
Amid the foreign turbulence and the internal pressure, Luis Carranza’s management of the Economy and Finance Ministry has been more than satisfactory. Not only because of his prudent management of fiscal accounts, but also because he put emphasis on increasing public investment, becoming the essential architect of Peru’s economic […]

A veteran International Monetary Fund economist, Luis Valdivieso, was sworn in by President Alan Garcia Monday as Peru’s new finance minister. He succeeds Luis Carranza, who has headed the finance ministry since Garcia’s administration began in July 2006.
The news spawned satisfaction in Washington and Wall Street. Peru’s most traded dollar-denominated bond, the <PERUGLB27=RR>, rose 0.500 […]

Excerpted editorial from today’s El Comercio newspaper:
The fourth round of negotiations between Chinese and Peruvian representatives to reach a free trade agreement (FTA) has been very arduous. This is mainly due to the fact that China has hardened its position concerning very sensitive issues for Peruvians, though commitments had previously been made by both parties.
This […]

While thousands of drivers in Peru’s capital are converting their gasoline powered vehicles to run on Peru’s abundant supply of less expensive natural gas, one economist says the savings aren’t as substantial as they should be because filling stations are gouging customers with artificially high costs to compress the fuel into their tanks.
“The lower cost […]

Thirty-four thousand vehicles in Peru’s capital, Lima, have converted their engines to natural gas and the Peruvian Natural Gas Vehicle Association predicts that 30,000 more will make the switch by the end of the year.
“This market is growing at an accelerated pace, especially in Lima. And if we maintain a good rhythm, we could convert […]

Since his term began in July 2006, President Alan Garcia has mailed out more than 300 dispatches to invite top businessmen from Chile and 51 other countries to invest in Peru.
Garcia’s press secretary released the information to Peruvian journalists to head off criticism about a story published Sunday in the Chilean daily La Tercera, which […]

After 14 hours of intense negotiation, Presidential Cabinet Chief Jorge Del Castillo confirmed Thursday that the government and the Moqueguan authorities had reached an agreement to end the strike that paralyzed southern Peru for 9 days.
Details of the settlement were not immediately release. Del Castillo said Moquegua residents, who demanded a larger share of taxes […]

Foreign affairs and commerce ministers from the Andean Community of Nations have ended a three-day meeting on a sour note, with Peru accusing Bolivia of stonewalling its efforts to strengthen common intellectual property rights — a requirement that must be met for Peru to start its free trade deal with the United States.
“Obviously, Peru will […]