Peru’s Illegal Gold Mining Bigger Than Drug Trade

Exports of illegal gold from Peru bring in about $1.8 billion per year, making it larger than the country’s drug trade, according to a new study by consulting firm Macroconsult.

Elmer Cuba, a prominent Peruvian economist with Macroconsult, presented on Wednesday a new study that shows the size and influence of illegal gold mining, and suggests ways to combat it.

“Illegal gold beats cocaine,” Cuba said, adding that drug trafficking brings in around $1.2 billion per year, according to newspaper Gestion. Read more…

Humala Maintains Solid Support Despite Criticism Over VRAE Strategy

A new national poll shows that President Ollanta Humala has continued to maintain solid support in May, despite seeing his approval rating drop a tad from the prior month.

The poll by Datum, which was published in daily Gestion, said that Humala has a 55 percent approval rating in May, compared to 57 percent in April.

The poll, which was taken from May 4 to May 7, shows that the president’s approval rating has not been significantly impacted by a recent uproar over his government’s handling of a hostage crisis of Read more…

Garcia Backs Humala’s Policy Against Shining Path

Two-time former President Alan Garcia has thrown his support behind Peru’s current President, Ollanta Humala, as the government is battling a Shining Path remnant group in a rugged, coca-growing region that has led to the recent deaths of a number of police and army officers.

Garcia, who was president in the 1980s and again from 2006 to 2011, called on Peruvians to unite around Humala’s anti-terrorist policies, daily El Comercio reported. He said the recent clashes between security personnel and the rebels, as well as the subsequent resignation of Peru’s Defense and Interior ministers, won’t Read more…

Peru’s Ministers Resign Over Fight With Shining Path Rebels

Peru’s Defense and Interior ministers, a mere six months since being appointed to their posts, resigned on Thursday amid a political uproar over an operation to rescue hostages and capture Shining Path rebels who had kidnapped the 36 natural gas workers last month.

The ministers faced a censure in Congress to be voted on Saturday. Opposition lawmakers had said they had enough votes to pass the non-confidence vote, which would have been a major blow to President Ollanta Humala’s administration.

The prime minister’s office confirmed that Defense Minister Alberto Otarola and Read more…

Ninth Soldier Killed In New Shining Path VRAE Attack

A non-commissioned army officer was killed in a new attack by remnants of the Shining Path insurgency in the Apurimac and Ene river valley, known as the VRAE, daily El Comercio reported.

The officer, 38-year-old Valentin Huanca, was killed when a Shining Path sharpshooter attacked the Mazángaro counter-terrorism military base in Junin region’s San Martin de Pangoa province.  He is the ninth security forces member to be killed in the past month in the VRAE.  

The other eight security forces were killed as part of an operation to rescue 36 natural gas workers who were kidnapped in April, further south in the north Cusco region.  The unsuccessful operation —the hostages were allegedly released by the Read more…

Opposition Lawmakers To Support No Confidence Vote For Ministers

Opposition lawmakers say they will support a vote of no confidence for Interior Minister Daniel Lozada and Defense Minister Alberto Otarola, due to their handling of the incidents involving Shining Path remnants in the Apurimac and Ene River Valley, or VRAE, daily El Comercio reported.

Spokespersons for the Alianza por el Gran Cambio, Solidaridad Nacional and Concertacion Parlamentaria said Monday that they would support the vote.

“For Alianza por el Gran Cambio we absolutely support the decision of the government to systematically confront drug trafficking and terrorism, but there is  no way Read more…

Prime Minister Rejects Calls To Remove Ministers Over VRAE Strategy

Prime Minister Oscar Valdes rejected Friday that Peru’s Interior and Defense ministers could be removed from their posts for their handling of a conflict with Shining Path remnants in the coca-growing Apurimac and Ene river valleys, or VRAE.

Valdes said that removing Defense Minister Alberto Otarola or Interior Minister Daniel Lozada would not be favorable for the government, daily El Comercio reported.

Valdes’ comments come as a number of lawmakers are calling for the ministers to resign following recent events in the VRAE that show the state has practically no Read more…

UNICEF Says Shining Path Remnants Violating Convention On Child Rights

Recent reports and photographs of Shining Path rebels in Peru’s southeast jungle have shown that the rebel group holds dozens of young children, kidnapped or born to kidnapped women, to train them as rebel soldiers.

UNICEF’s office in Peru said Tuesday that the use of children by remnant groups of the Shining Path rebels is a violation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

UNICEF said it “rejects the direct and indirect participation, forced or voluntary of boys, girls and adolescents in any situation of armed violence.”

“The utilization of children and adolescents on the part of the Shining Path Read more…

Peru Prepares Major Offensive Against Shining Path In VRAE – Report

President Ollanta Humala’s government is preparing a large-scale offensive against remnants of the Shining Path insurgency in the isolated coca-growing Apurimac and Ene river valleys, or VRAE, daily El Comercio reported, citing Reuters.

The report said the offensive is the biggest in almost two decades, and seeks to deliver a major blow to the Shining Path.

The initiative follows the kidnapping of 36 natural gas workers earlier this month Read more…

Peru To Send Inexperienced Soldiers To Dangerous Coca-Growing Region

Peru’s Defense Ministry plans to send a number of young soldiers into a dangerous coca-growing region as part of efforts to track down narco-terrorists that kidnapped 36 natural gas workers earlier this month, according to the  National Ombudsman’s office.

The office, known as the Defensoria del Pueblo, said the troops have only completed between 28 days and seven months of service. Four of the soldiers are younger than 21-years-old, daily El Comercio reported.

The soldiers were sent to a counter-terrorism base in the city of Satipo, located in Junin region, from April 11 to 13. Family members say, however, that the group is now being sent to the zone of Vilcabamba, in Cusco, which is where remnants of the Read more…

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