Peru Support Group Annual Conference 2010: Peru & Latin America: Signs of Change?

The London-based Peru Support Group will be holding its annual conference November 27, at Kingston University, Surrey. The theme this year is “Peru & Latin America: Signs of Change?” Guest speaker is Lord Avebury, chairman of the organization, founder of Britain’s Parliamentary Human Rights Group and member of the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs team.  The keynote speaker will be Javier [...]

Peru forensic team finds bodies of 25 children killed in Ayacucho during internal war

A forensic team last week in Ayacucho unearthed the bodies of 25 schoolchildren and five adults, buried 26 years ago in three mass graves in the village of Umasi, nine hours south of the city of Huamanga, Ayacucho. The exhumation was ordered by the Ayacucho sub-provincial criminal court, acting on testimonies from five witnesses who [...]

Peru’s Fujimori accepts charges, effectively avoids retelling of crimes

At the opening of his fourth trial on Monday, Peru’s former President Alberto Fujimori accepted the charges of telephone espionage, bribery of congress members, and illegal “buying” of news media carried out during his 1990-2000 administration. By accepting the charges, Fujimori has guaranteed that the trial will be brief –a verdict is to be handed [...]

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 [...]

Yehude Simon announces his run for President in 2011

Yehude Simon, president of the Lambayeque Region and one of the most prominent regional leaders, announced yesterday his intention to run in Peru’s presidential elections in 2011. His party will be registering with the national elections board in October, he said. Simon, 61, said his campaign would be starting early because, “We provincials find it [...]

Peru joins Colombia and Brazil to monitor Amazon borders against illegal arms and drug traffic

President Alan Garcia signed an accord with his Colombian and Brazilian counterparts Sunday to reinforce surveillance of the Amazon region’s rivers, to combat the illegal traffic of arms and drugs and rebel groups such as Colombia’s FARC guerrillas. “This tri-national action in the Amazonian jungle rivers will bolster our work in this very important territory [...]

Former congressman extradited from U.S. to face charges of forgery and embezzlement

Oscar Medelius, extradited from the United States on Friday, is appearing before the anticorruption court today to face charges of forgery of documents, embezzlement and illicit association that stem from his alleged involvement in a massive election fraud scheme in 2000. The trial, which includes six other defendants, is scheduled to begin before the end [...]

Defense Minister denies claims of U.S. military presence

Defense Minister Ántero Flores-Aráoz denied claims made by opposition leader Ollanta Humala that personnel from the United States military are currently operating in Peru’s jungle region. Humala said Peruvian military sources told him that U.S. military personnel are operating in the country’s north-east Loreto Department, which shares a porous border with Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia, [...]

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 [...]

Congress approves investigation of ALBA cultural centers

By Ryan Dube Congress voted unanimously Wednesday to investigate the functions, organization and financing of cultural centers that espouse the leftist ideology of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to determine if the charismatic former paratrooper is using his oil riches to expand his political movement into Peru. The motion was presented by Congress’ National Defense Commission [...]

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