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 […]

Extreme cold temperatures have plummeted down to −26.5°C, or −16°F and strong ice-cold winds are blowing across Peru’s highland region of Puno, said meteorologist Hernán Saavedra, regional Director of the country’s National Meteorology and Hydrology Institute, or Senamhi.
The higher zones, including Capaso, Masocruz and Punta Perdida, have been hit by extreme weather, with temperatures averaging […]

Peru’s war on drugs has led to significant advances and the seizure of nearly 40 tons of illicit drugs in the past 12 months, Interior Minister Luis Alva Castro said Tuesday.
“We have almost reached 40 tons (of seized drugs) in the last 12 months,” said Castro in comments to state news agency Andina. “And 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 […]

Moquegua’s regional Civil Defense Institute is maintaing a yellow alert, indicating that the Ubinas volcano in southwestern Peru could erupt.
Since the volcano began to emit acid-laden ash, smoke and toxic gases more than two months ago, hundreds of residents have complained of migraines, conjunctivitis and respiratory infections.
“The inhabitants of (San Pedro de Querapi), who came […]

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 […]

Peru President Alan Garcia enacted a legislative decree to declare a 60-day state of emergency in 11 of Peru’s 24 departments Thursday as temperatures in the Andes region continue to drop dramatically and claim the lives of residents.
As Peru remains in the grip of intense cold — meteorologists have registered temperatures dipping to -22°C, or […]

Peru President Alan Garcia enacted emergency legislative decree Nº 023-2008 Thursday to transfer 12 million soles, or about $4.2 million, to the newly created Environment Ministry after Congress refused to allow the transfer two weeks ago.
Provisions in the decree, published this morning in the official state daily El Peruano, authorize Environment Minister Antonio Brack to […]

Thousands of protesters in the southern mining town of Moquegua have released a police general and 47 of his officers after holding them hostage for more than 24 hours. And while negotiations continue over their demand for a larger share of taxes paid to the government by Peru’s largest copper producer, Southern Peru, President Alan […]

Peru President Alan Garcia plans to enact an emergency legislative decree to transfer 12 million soles, or about $4.2 million, to the newly created Environment Ministry after Congress failed to make the allocation last week, said Environment Minster Antonio Brack late Thursday night.
“Legislative decree N°1013 which created the Environment Ministry has already been ratified. But […]