Foreign Affairs Minister: Peru has invested $1.63 billion in cross-border development plan with Ecuador

Foreign Affairs Minister José Antonio García Belaunde told Congress on Friday that Peru has invested more than $1.63 billion in a bilateral plan with Ecuador to develop its northern border region. García Belaunde said Peru has invested in infrastructure projects to expand rural electrification, plumbing, and transportation, as well as social development projects focusing on [...]

Catholic Bishops in Peru’s Amazon call for protection of ethnic communities

A call for real and inclusive dialogue with indigenous communities and the repeal of several Amazon development laws was made this week by the bishops of eight Catholic vicariates in Peru’s Amazon region. In a public statement, the bishops urge President Alan Garcia and Congress to repeal two laws and seven decrees that they claim [...]

García meets Japanese counterpart to strengthen ties; Japan pledges $300 million in aid

President Alan García and his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, signed a joint declaration Monday on environmental and climate change issues during the first official meeting between leaders of the two nations in nine years. According to Agencia Andina, Peru and Japan will collaborate in reducing green house gas emissions beyond 2012 and cooperate [...]

Peru-Ecuador sign development agreement along border

Peru and Ecuador have signed an agreement to promote development in the Cordillera del Cóndor, the 48-mile stretch of jungle border in the Andean jungle that was the epicenter of one of South America’s oldest territorial disputes. The “Peace and Binational Conservation in the Cordillera del Cóndor” was reached during a meeting at Peru’s National [...]

Cusco protests continue, leaving tourists stranded

Thousands of tourists were stranded after commercial flights were canceled and roads blocked to Cusco, as protests over a tourism development law continue today. Authorities suspended commercial flights to Cusco’s Alejandro Velasco Astete airport and  halted train service to Machu Picchu, Peru’s top tourist attraction and ancient citadel of the Incas to prevent property damage [...]

Protests over tourism development law could cost Cusco millions daily

Possible protests over the approval of a contentious tourism development law could cost Peru’s tourism capital millions of dollars daily. The president of the Lima Chamber of Commerce, Samuel Gleiser, told Radio Programas radio Cusco will lose 20 million soles, about $6.8 million, a day if regional and municipal authorities go ahead with threats to [...]