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Saturday, July 03, 2004

UPDATED: Toledo & Peruvian Squad, Sheepherder from Huancayo

Anarchy in Ayacucho, cont. updated: MISNA News reports that "the situation in Ayacucho has apparently returned to normal after a crowd lashed out at police, accusing them of using violence to quash a strike by teachers. Shops have reopened and public transport services have resumed, although the traces of the clashes are still clearly visible." NOTE: Prime Minister Carlos Ferrero blamed the guerrillas of ‘Sendero Luminoso’ ... the students called a demonstration in protest against the premier’s statements, shouting “Ferrero liar, we are not terrorists”. CITED: Robert Huaynalaya. The Miami Herald (registration peruvia@peruvia.com/peruvia) reports that the Minister of the Interior, Javier Reategui "had dispatched about 250 riot police to Ayacucho to quell violence between local police and striking teachers." Reategui declared that "order was restored, stores reopened and public transportation up and running." The Voice of America catches up with yesterday's reporting using AP, AFP, and Reuters. VOA includes two points that Reuters didn't yesterday: "The violence broke out after police used tear gas to evict teachers from city offices they had occupied for several days. The educators went on strike June 21."

Fujimori’s PR Man: The Los Angeles Times (registration: peruvia/peruvia) profiles Carlos Raffo Arce who is aptly defined as Alberto Fujimori's one-man public relations/propaganda machine. NOTE: "In South America, political fortunes can shift as quickly as a mountainside in an Andes avalanche ... and Fujmori smells a comeback." ALSO: "Every Saturday morning, Raffo brings audio messages from Fujimori to the Peruvian people on an hourlong radio show broadcast on dozens of stations nationwide." CITED: Raul Sulca, a pro-Fujimori activist. IN SPANISH: See a profile of Raffo in Caretas from 2001.

Truth & Reconciliation, cont.: Retuers reports that "Peru will give relatives on Monday the exhumed remains of men killed by state security forces in a notorious 1986 prison massacre, but human rights lawyers said the reconciliation process was undermined by a failure to properly identify victims." NOTE: "Returning the 31 sets of remains is part of an reconciliation effort after two decades of rebel and state violence tore Peru apart in the 1980s and early 1990s." CITED: Elviro Aponte (father of a victim) and Ivan Bazan Chacon (human rights lawyer).
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Copa América News:
- updated Toledo and the Peruvian Squad: Reuters offers photographs of Peruvian soccer players Guillermo Salas, Leao Butron, Julio Garcia, and Jefferson Farfan "at their training camp in Lima." In another photograph, President Toledo is seen with Walter Vichez and Jefferson Farfan. SkySports reports that Jhon Galliquio "will miss the Copa America after picking up an injury in the friendly against Argentina. Galliquio has usually played center half. The article lists the 22-player squad.

- Strikers & Strikers: The Associated Press and Reuters report on the strikers outside and inside the stadium during Copa America. The AP says that , "with nationwide strikes on tap and Peru's leading airline in hot water for alleged drug trafficking, hosting the Copa America could prove sticky business." NOTE The AP says that "tourism promoters say the protest threats could deter more than half of the 30,000 soccer fans expected to visit Peru." Reuters quotes Carlos Canales Anchorena (National Chamber of Tourism) saying the protest threats could deter more than two-thirds of the 30,000. The piece says that "Recent polls show most Peruvians oppose the timing of the strike." However, the latest APOYO poll found that "93% of Peruvians said a planned July 14 national strike by Peru's largest labor union, the CGTP, would be acceptable, as long as it was peaceful," according to Dow Jones. HISTORY: "Peru last hosted a South American championship in 1953, playing all the matches in the then year-old National Stadium. Peru managed to beat Brazil for the first time ever that year, although the cup went to Paraguay." ALSO: Toledo's squabbles with Congress over permission to visit Spain and Israel.

- Interview with AWoodman: FIFA has an interview with Arturo Woodman who was asked about how the man on the street sees the Copa: "In the provinces, yes, everybody is talking about the Copa América. It is to be expected really, as many of these cities will be hosting top class football for the first time in their newly renovated stadiums. Take Chiclayo, for example, where the people could be watching Argentina take on Uruguay." ALSO: Says Woodman, "There remains one more stadium to be built, which will be in the small northern city of Iquitos beside the Amazon river," for the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship.

- Nobby Asks For Help: Team Talk reports that Nolberto Solano "believes the Peru fans will have a big part to play when they host the Copa America next week. Our supporters must stay calm and stick with us. They must not lose faith, because their support is very important to us if we are going to do well in the Copa America."

- The Stars Attend: FIFA's news reporting headlines: 'European stars head Peru challenge.'Nolberto Solano and [Captain] Claudio Pizarro "will spearhead host country Peru in the Copa America." CITED: Vice President of the country David Waisman and President of the Peruvian football federation Manuel Burga; Julio Velasquez (a member of the Peruvian 2006 World Cup committee).

- Reuters offers photos of the Brazilians in Arequipa and the Paraguayans still in Asuncion.

- Luringancho Copa: Reuters reports on a soccer tournament inside Luringancho jail where "the Hijackers snatched victory from the Robbers on Friday when inmates of South America's biggest jail staged their own Copa America final, four days before the real soccer tournament kicks off in Peru." BAD LUCK?: "Argentina" beat "Peru" 2-1 on penalties in the prison's sports stadium. CITED: Wilfredo Pedraza Sierra, (head of the National Penetenatiary Institute). Team Nicknames: Colombia - drugs dealers; Ecuador - thieves. HOWEVER: The Associated Press reported this story in early June (see 'Copa Luringancho' in June 10's Peruvia. This Florida newspaper still has a photo/caption from that event.) Reuters accompanies today's story with several photographs from Luringancho jail. Reuters mispells the name ('Lurigachos') and refers to it as "South Americas biggest jail."
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More Electricity: Dow Jones reports that "Peru's electricity production totaled 2,015.4 gigawatt- hours in May, a 4.4% increase compared to the same month a year earlier," according to the National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy said Friday, using data from the Energy and Mines Ministry. NOTE: "Electricity production has strengthened alongside growth in the economy."

Sheepherder from Huancayo: Colorado's Durango Herald profiles Aldo Quiñones Inga, a sheepherder from Huancayo who "will be alone with [3,500] sheep until October." NOTE: "Taking care of sheep can be a nomadic existence. In order to provide them with enough food to fatten them up for selling season, [they are herded] high into the mountains. Then Quiñones Inga [will be alone] with an Akbash sheepherding dog named Big Boy and a horse named Jim." ALSO: "He also has three older brothers, who have herding jobs of their own in Idaho, Colorado and Utah."

Falun Gong in Peru: The Epoch Times (a pro-Falun Gong paper) reports on China's policy to “intensify the campaign [against Falun Gong] overseas, collect more information and prevent protests.” It lists cases in countries around the world and includes this on Peru: "In addition to reporting telephone eavesdropping, Falun Gong practitioners in Peru have reported that the Chinese Embassy has ordered local Chinese newspapers to withhold articles that introduce Falun Gong, has persuaded a newspaper to publish articles slandering Falun Gong, and has asked news stands to stop selling Falun Gong books."

Asparagus Wars, cont.: The Associated Press and Washington State television station KAPP file short stories on 'Asparagus Woes' about Peruvian crops hurting the Washington economy.

La Chica in Madrid: The Guardian offers an essay by their correspondent in Madrid, writing on how summer differs there. She includes this: "When all else fails, the middle-class Madrid family falls back on la chica, 'the girl'. La chica is an Ecuadorian, Peruvian or Colombian immigrant who, despite the name, may be aged anywhere between 18 and 60. She is a cleaner, nanny and, sometimes, cook. In posher parts of town, and one apartment in my building, she must wear a maid's uniform. La chica is the key to summer survival. For it is she who takes the kids to the park in the early morning, cooks them their lunch, finds their Gameboys and turns the telly on in the afternoon."

Alicia Dibos Tries Again: New York's Journal News profiles Alicia Dibos, the former LPGA Tour veteran who is now an assistant at Winged Foot Golf Club. She missed the cut in the 2004 U.S. Women's Open at 7-over 149. Dibos is happily semi-retired and "last played a full schedule on tour in 2001."

LAN Airlines & the Atacama Crossing: The LAN Airlines announced in a press release that they are sponsors of the inaugural Atacama Crossing (not online when Peruvia tried it), "part of Racing The Planet's 1000-kilometer endurance racing circuit spanning four deserts on four continents on foot, including the coldest, the hottest, the driest and the windiest places on earth."

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