PERU: Forscher finden Massengrab für Kinder

Oct 6, 2024 | Bei Ausgrabungen in Peru wurden 43 Gräber entdeckt. Darin sind vor allem Kinderleichen gefunden worden. Eine Opfergabe aus der Chimú-Kultur, sagen die Experten.

Lima’s Central Restaurant Named World’s Best in Boost for Peruvian Cuisine

THE GUARDIAN: Peruvian eateries have been a fixture in top 50 list for close to a decade and now one has claimed the crown

Colours of Amazonia, a dish from the tasting menu at Central in Lima in 2017. Photograph: Nicholas Gill/Alamy
While Peru’s archeology heritage began in the 20th century to attract millions of tourists to locations such as Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines, the country’s cuisine remained one of South America’s best-kept secrets.

But in the last two decades, Peru’s food – a product of its rich range of crops, ecosystems and a particular history – has become a global brand, with restaurants opening in cities from San Francisco to Sydney.

Now, after years of plaudits and prizes, Central restaurant in Lima has been voted the world’s best, crowning the global conquest of Peruvian cuisine. » | Dan Collyns in Lima | Friday, June 23, 2023

Record Dengue Fever Outbreak in Peru as Climate Change Helps Mosquitoes Thrive

Jun 9, 2023 | Peru has suffered by far the worst covid death toll of any country in the world per capita - and it's currently battling another deadly disease. A record 130,000 cases of Dengue Fever have been reported so far this year. Spread by mosquitoes - it can cause fevers, nausea and in the most serious cases - death. Health authorities warn this outbreak could get worse - as the warming El Niño climate effect helps the insects thrive. Our Latin America Correspondent Guillermo Galdos has travelled to the northern town of Piura - one of the areas that's been worst-affected. A warning, his report contains distressing scenes from the beginning.

Death Toll in Peru Rises to 47 Amid Extraordinary Violence

THE NEW YORK TIMES: “What happened yesterday was really a massacre,” said one human rights activist.

LIMA, Peru — A young medical student in his work uniform, desperate, his family said, to help injured protesters. A 22-year old man who had finally saved up enough to study mechanics. An ice cream vendor returning home after a long day of work.

None took part in the demonstrations that have consumed Peru for a month. But all were killed in southern Peru on Monday, casualties in what became the deadliest day of clashes between protesters and government forces since the country erupted in violence last month.

In a matter of hours, at least 17 civilians and one police officer were killed in the chaos of demonstrations, according to the country’s ombudsman office, an extraordinary spasm of violence that complicated the new president’s attempt to stabilize the country. » | Mitra Taj, Julie Turkewitz and Genevieve Glatsky | Tuesday, January 10, 2023

What's the Impact of Peru's Political Crisis & How Will it End? | Inside Story

Dec 17, 2022 | Since the jailing of Peru's former President Pedro Castillo more than a week ago, violence has spread across the country, with troops opening fire and killing demonstrators.

Two ministers have resigned, the government has declared a state of emergency, and curfews have been imposed in 15 regions. What does this crisis mean for Peru and other countries in Latin America - and how might it end?

Presenter: Hazem Sika

Paola Ugaz - investigative journalist in Lima.
Javier Farje - Peru analyst and historian in London.
Jo-Marie Burt - Associate Professor of Political Science/Latin American Studies, George Mason University, Washington DC

Massacre in Peru: Death Toll Tops 17 as Protests Mount After Ouster & Jailing of President Castillo

Dec 16, 2022 | Mass protests are intensifying in Peru following the ouster and jailing of President Pedro Castillo, who was impeached on December 7 after attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree. At least 17 protesters have been killed in the unrest as police have attacked crowds with tear gas and live ammunition. On Thursday, a judicial panel ruled that Castillo should remain locked up for 18 months of pretrial detention, and Castillo's successor, his former vice president, Dina Boluarte, has declared a state of emergency across the country, suspending some civil rights. Peruvian sociologist Eduardo González Cueva calls the government's heavy-handed response "a coup within a coup" and says dissatisfaction with the entire political establishment is driving the protests. "This is no longer about Castillo personally," he says. "This is about the people of Peru who do not see themselves represented in this political system and are calling for a very radical change."

Peru Declares Nationwide State of Emergency as Crisis Deepens

Dec 15, 2022 | Peru has declared a nationwide state of emergency, amid a week of protest and political upheaval following the removal and detention of former President Pedro Castillo. Peruvian defence minister Alberto Otarola announced the new 30-day measure, which he said involved “the suspension of freedom of movement and assembly” and could include a curfew, on Wednesday due to “acts of vandalism and violence”, including roadblocks. “The National Police with the support of the Armed Forces will ensure the control throughout the national territory of personal property and, above all, strategic infrastructure and the safety and wellbeing of all Peruvians,” the minister said. Al Jazeera’s Mariana Sanchez reports from Lima, Peru.

Peru's Ousted President Pedro Castillo Detained by Police - BBC News

Dec 8, 2022 | Peru's ex-President Pedro Castillo has been detained, after his efforts to dissolve parliament instead ended in him being thrown out of office. It follows attempts by Castillo to dissolve Congress ahead of a vote to impeach him. His Vice-President Dina Boluarte was later sworn in as his successor. She condemned her predecessor's move to dissolve Congress as an "attempted coup" and pledged to form a new cabinet of all political stripes.

Wildfires Rage Close to Machu Picchu Archaeological Site

Jul 1, 2022 A forest fire that has been burning since Tuesday engulfed more than 20 hectares (49 acres) of grassland and the remains of the Peruvian Llamacancha archaeological site inside Machu Picchu's sanctuary. Footage showed forest brigades fighting the fire which, according to officials, has been difficult to control because of strong winds and the inaccessibility of the area Peru wildfire threatens Machu Picchu as remote location hampers efforts to control blaze

Peru wildfire threatens Machu Picchu as remote location hampers efforts to control blaze: Twenty hectares near Inca ruins affected in blaze started by farmers burning grass before sowing crops »

Ancient Inca Tomb Found during House Renovations in Lima

Jun 23, 2022 • Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed human remains dating back to the Inca period. The discovery of the tomb, which included grave goods corresponding to the period, was made during the renovations of a residential property in the Peruvian capital

First Class Train across Peru on the “Andean Explorer”

In Peru, Courts ‘Used Like Whips’ to Silence Journalists

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The author of a book about a powerful politician has been sentenced to two years in prison. Media advocates say the case is part of a trend in which the courts are being used to punish critics.

The Peruvian journalist Christopher Acosta has been sentenced to two years in prison and, with his publisher, fined $100,000 following a defamation lawsuit brought by a powerful politician. | Angela Ponce for The New York Times
The police raided a reporter’s house after he investigated an elite Catholic society. A court ordered journalists’ assets frozen following a defamation complaint from a powerful figure. A sports journalist called the head of a soccer club inept, and was sentenced to a year in prison.

And then, last week, a judge sentenced a Peruvian journalist to two years in prison and imposed a $100,000 fine following a defamation lawsuit brought by a powerful, wealthy politician.

Media experts called the decision the most direct threat to freedom of expression in Peru in years. And, they said, it was part of a worrying trend across the region — but particularly strong in Peru — in which powerful figures are using the courts to intimidate and punish journalists who investigate them.

“It absolutely sidesteps the fundamental principles of freedom of expression,” said Ricardo Uceda, who leads the Press and Society Institute of Peru, of the ruling. » | Julie Turkewitz and Mitra Taj | Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Leer en español:

En Perú las cortes se usan ‘como látigos’ para callar a los periodistas : El autor de un libro sobre un empresario y político ha sido sentenciado a dos años de prisión, parte de una tendencia en la que los personajes poderosos emplean las cortes para castigar a sus críticos. »

Gay and Latino, "My Date in Lima, Peru" | The Gay Explorer

Jun 21, 2018 • Join me on my gay date with Pedro while we explore Lima, Peru, where we will visit amazing landmarks such as Plaza de Armas, enjoy arguably the best Pisco in the world and taste one of their most famous dishes: ceviche. We will also discuss how it is being gay and Latino in South America. Ready? Let’s go!

More Than One Million Dead in Latin America as Variants Spread | Covid-19 Special

Aug 2, 2021 • Experts say Latin America is fast becoming the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than one million people there have died.

The only exception is Chile, where 80 percent of the population are fully vaccinated. Otherwise, health systems are struggling to cope. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of nearly 200,000 people in Peru, where the vaccination campaign is only slowly getting underway. Just 16 percent of the population are completely inoculated. The country is battling several coronavirus variants.

Colombia is experiencing one of the longest peaks of infection since the coronavirus arrived in the country. This third spike has put the national medical system to the test. Quarantine measures have been struggling to strengthen an already strained system. ICUs in the country's second largest city Medellín are over 95 percent occupied. Doctors insist the national model of pandemic care has failed.

Pedro Francke: Relief in Peru as Moderate Is Made Finance Minister

Pedro Francke, Peru’s new finance minister. Photograph: Ernesto Benavides/AFP/Getty Images
THE GUARDIAN: President Pedro Castillo completes his cabinet after causing shockwaves with appointment of controversial Guido Bellido as prime minister

After 24 hours of uncertainty and the worst Friday in years on the stock exchange, Peru’s new president, Pedro Castillo, has completed his cabinet, swearing in the moderate leftist economist Pedro Francke as finance minister, and in the process calming jittery investors and anxious Peruvians alike.

Aníbal Torres was also sworn in, as justice minister, on Friday, filling the remaining empty cabinet posts. The rest were sworn in late on Thursday, amid deep unease over Castillo’s choice of prime minister, Guido Bellido, who is under investigation for allegedly defending the Shining Path, a Maoist rebel group that killed tens of thousands of Peruvians in the 1980s and 1990s, and is also accused of making homophobic remarks.

In a pointed rejection of Bellido’s controversial views, Francke vowed to work “towards good living, with equal opportunities, without the distinction of gender, ethnic identity or sexual orientation” when he took the oath as minister. » | Dan Collyns in Lima | Saturday, July 31, 2021

Lambda Variant Pushes up Death Toll in Peru | COVID-19 Special

Jul 22, 2021 • Alpha, beta, gamma, delta ... and now lambda. The WHO classes it as a "variant of interest." For Peruvians, it's much worse. The country has the highest death toll per capita in the world. And now the lambda variant accounts for almost all cases.

Pedro Castillo Makes Unity Plea after Finally Being Named Peru’s Next President

Former school teacher Pedro Castillo raises his arms from the balcony of the Peru Libre party headquarters in Lima, following the official proclamation of him as Perus president-elect. Photograph: Gian Masko/AFP/Getty Images
THE GUARDIAN: One-time teacher asks for ‘effort and sacrifice’ in first remarks after being confirmed as president-elect

Pedro Castillo, a rural teacher turned political novice, has become the winner of Peru’s presidential election after the country’s longest electoral count in 40 years.

In his first comments as president-elect, he called for national unity. “I ask for effort and sacrifice in the struggle to make this a just and sovereign country,” he said.

Castillo, whose supporters included Peru’s poor and rural citizens, defeated right-wing politician Keiko Fujimori by just 44,000 votes. Electoral authorities released the final official result on Monday in a televised ceremony, more than a month after the runoff election took place in the South American nation.

On Monday night, TV images showed Castillo’s supporters pouring out on to the streets, chanting, “Yes, we could.”

Castillo is set to take office on 28 July for a five-year term as leader of the world’s second largest copper-producing nation. » | Staff and agencies | Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Peru's First Lesbian Lawmaker Vows 'Strong Battle' to Boost LGBT+ Rights. Read all about it here

LGBT Rights in Peru here

Pedro Castillo remporte officiellement l’élection présidentielle au Pérou »

A Quarter of Global COVID-19 Deaths Have Been in Latin America | COVID-19 Special

Jul 8, 2021 • A quarter of the world's coronavirus deaths have been in Latin America. A third of new infections are happening in the region - a region where just three percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

In some countries people blame their governments - for making the wrong moves, or making them too late. Poverty, too, is playing its part, making social distancing impossible. Healthcare systems are overwhelmed and economies are shrinking.

So what hope is there for Latin America?

Peru’s Middle Class Shrank by Almost Half in 2020

THE RIO TIMES: According to the new data, only 24% of Peruvians now belong to that category against 43.6% in 2019 due to the economic impacts of the coronavirus health crisis.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A new study released Tuesday (6) by the Institute of Economics and Business Development (Iedep) of the Lima Chamber of Commerce showed that some 6.3 million Peruvians fell out of the country’s middle-class social group during 2020.

According to the new data, only 24% of Peruvians now belong to that category against 43.6% in 2019 due to the economic impacts of the coronavirus health crisis.

The Iedep survey specified that 7.9 million people remain within the concept of the middle class, while that group consisted of about 14 million in 2019.

To be classified into that category, individuals need to at least live in four-person households with monthly incomes ranging between S/2,150 and S/10,750 (between US$560 and US$2,795).

The coronavirus crisis has thus dealt a severe blow to the country’s fight against poverty which can also be expressed as a ten-year setback, as the number of people under that line grew to be 30.1% of the population during 2020, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI). » | Latin America News | Wednesday, July 7, 2021

More news from Peru HERE »

Scuffles at Anti-Obama Protest as Peru Hosts APEC Economic Summit

Anti-Obama protesters scuffle with police as the outgoing US president arrives in Peru for a major economic summit.