Peruvia

Toledo In DC: President Toledo will participate in the inauguration ceremonies of the USA National Museum of the American Indian tomorrow in Washington DC. (See 'Toledo in DC' in September 13's Peruvia.) On Tuesday, he will also be speaking at George Washington University where he will be presented with the University's President's Medal. The Washington DC-based Council of Hemispheric Affairs 'welcomes' President Toledo to Washington in a press release, written by Gabriel Espinosa Gonzalez, that lists several criticisms including a suggestion that the Toledo government has a "continued deference to the international lending agencies;" an accusation that Toledo has "shamelessly took advantage of your indigenous ethnicity;" "your uncontested incompetence;" "you have mortally wounded your presidency and Peru;" "You lied about your intentions, ... and most everything you touted during your 2001 campaign." Also Cited: Olmedo Auris Melgar (CGTP, SUTEP, and Patria Roja); and Apoyo Opinion y Mercado, CPI and Datum's latest polls ("Your popularity stood at a miniscule 14% while your disapproval rate has hovered around 85%"). NOTE: The piece denounces "the continued unjust imprisonment of American ex-college student Lori Berenson." NOTE: This opinion piece also redefines cholo in its barrage of criticism. "He looked Peruvians straight in the eye and told them that he identified with their plight because as a cholo (a colloquial term for native Peruvians)." ALSO: COHA does offer some praise when Toledo "implemented a series of decentralization programs that would grant each region semi-autonomous control over its finances. The Council on Hemispheric Affairs views this as a positive step, but ..."

Saving MPicchu: The USA State Department's Washington File reports on the World Bank's recent loan to Peru "to help the Peruvian government's efforts to improve management of tourism in Machu Picchu and to preserve the site's status as a World Heritage Site." NOTE: "The World Bank said the loan will also be used to help re-settle 60 Machu Picchu families whose homes are highly vulnerable to landslides." CITED: Patricia Harrison, the State Department's assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs. See Also: 'Saving MPicchu' in September 16's Peruvia.

Films In NYC: Juan Alejandro Ramirez's Porter (Sólo un cargador, 2003), a 20-minute short will be shown before another feature film on Thursday, Saturday, and next Wednesday (see schedule here) at the Latin Beat 2004, sponsored by the Film Society of New York City's Lincoln Center. Porter is "a heartbreakingly beautiful meditation about the life, hopes and dreams of a fictional Peruvian porter named Chuqui Orozco. The film is a series of visually stunning scenes primarily taken from the streets in Cuzco and the footpaths through the Andes Mountains to Machu Picchu. Also Showing: Francisco Lombardi's 'What the Eye Doesn't See' (Ojos Que No Ven, 2003), will be shown tomorrow and Wednesday (see schedule here).

The Russia Connection: Russia's Novosti reports that "the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is hosting a Russian-Peruvian forum on trade and capital investment. The event is part of a Moscow sojourn program of Peru's export promotion commission delegation."

Cuzco - My Kind of Town: The Telegraph interviews John Hemming, a founder of Survivor International, on his love affair with a certain Andean city. "I first saw Cuzco in 1960 and fell hopelessly for this strange city. I have twice lived there for a while, and go back whenever I possibly can. Cuzco never forgets that it was the capital of the mighty Inca empire." He offers tips on his favourite pub and where to stay if you are rich or not-so-rich.

Latin American Systems: The Los Angeles Times offers an opinion piece by Abraham Lowenthal titled "It's A New World and Latin America is on the Map." He concludes, "Washington should not be confused: Latin American nations are potential partners in pursuit of genuinely shared international interests. They can't be taken for granted, but they can be significant allies in a world in which the U.S. needs more support. "

Football Summary: Reuters (final item) reports that "Sporting Cristal beat Alianza Atletico 2-0 with first-half goals from Jorge Soto and Argentine striker Luis Bonnet to go to the top of the championship's second stage. Alianza Atletico dropped to second while Deportivo Wanka went third, beating Atletico Universidad 2-1 in a match where the referee controversially added 10 minutes of injury time. First-stage winners Alianza Lima hit the woodwork three times and missed a penalty, which defender Jose Soto fired over the crossbar, in a 0-0 draw against Estudiantes de Medicina."

Enabled: Virginia's Roanoke Times profiles Sharon Myers who has been dubbed [in Cuzco] the "Goodmother of the Disabled" where the "Cuzco Coraje, the wheelchair basketball association Myers started there, has grown from five to 150 members. The town has cut out street curbs to make it easier to maneuver wheelchairs and crutches because of Myers' recommendation." ALSO: "I'm not disabled unless my environment makes me disabled," explained Myers, who was paralyzed by polio at the age of 3." NOTE: "Sharon is probably making one of the first donations - at least the first one that I know of - of sports chairs to the people of Peru," said Jose Antonio Isola de Lavalle. ALSO: "Her itinerary will include being the guest of honor at the Sports Day in San Isidro."