Saturday, December 01, 2007
FREE TRADE?
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- 'Peru President: Will Have US Free Trade Deal Within 10 Days' (Dow Jones, Robert Kozak) "We are confident that within 10 days we will be able to deliver to Peru a trade pact subscribed by the United States," Garcia said at business conference being held in northern Peru. Garcia said that within three months, Peru expects to be close to having a free trade agreement with Canada."
- 'US Senate To Vote Next Week On Peru Trade Deal' (Reuters Doug Palmer; also Reuters in Washington Post) "Sen. Reid intends to (begin debate) on Monday," Reid spokesman Jim Manley said in an email. However, a vote on the pact is not expected before Wednesday, he said. The House voted 285-132 earlier this month to approve the agreement, which locks in Peru's duty-free access to the U.S. market while phasing out Peru's tariffs on U.S. agricultural and manufactured goods."
- 'Side issues stall action on trade agreements' (Chicago Tribune, Stephen J. Hedges) "The recent debate over the Peru agreement shows just how contentious the trade agreements can be."
- LETTER: 'NAFTA Bad For Economy' (Chico Enterprise-Record, California, Leonard Adame) "Hillary Clinton is supporting the Peru Free Trade Agreement, a pact that expands NAFTA, a product of Bill Clinton's corporate-sponsored presidency."
- 'One Laptop Per Child Orders Surge' (Boston Globe, Hiawatha Bray) "Nicholas Negroponte, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who set up the foundation to provide low-cost laptops to poor schoolchildren around the globe, said in an interview yesterday that the government of Peru has signed a contract to purchase 260,000 of the $188 machines. "It was notarized five minutes ago," he said, adding that the Peruvian order will make it easier for the foundation to sign up more countries to the program. "It's momentum."
- 'Peru GDP To Continue 7% Anual Growth, Velarde Says' (Bloomberg, Alex Emery) "Increased exports of copper, zinc and fishmeal mean Peru will have an $8.5 billion trade surplus for the second straight year, [Presdient of the Central Bank Julio] Velarde told reporters at a conference in the northern coastal city of Trujillo."
- 'ScotiaBank Offers $17 Loans In Peru, Snubs US Peril' (Bloomberg, Sean B. Pasternak; with 3 photos) "Scotiabank is targeting stores in Latin America, offering loans and credit cards to clients with little or no banking history at a time when many North American banks are trying to avoid subprime and other high-risk borrowers. The Toronto-based bank says profit from countries such as Peru is growing three times as fast as at home, even as a soaring Canadian dollar threatens to cut revenue from abroad."
- 'Canadian Shield Resources up 66% after firm reports Peru drilling' (Canadian Press)
- 'Gran Tierra Starts Exploration Operations in Peru' (Gran Tierra press release) "The exploration blocks were awarded to Gran Tierra Energy in 2006. They are on the eastern side of the Maranon basin, where over one billion barrels of recoverable oil has been discovered to date."
- 'CIMPOR Acquires 80% Stake In Peruvian Cement Company' (New Europe) re: Cementos Otorongo
- OPINION: 'South America Is Sliding Into Dictatorship' (Telegraph, Daniel Hannan) "Ten years ago, every country in South America, with the arguable exception of my native Peru, was a liberal democracy. Not any more." NOTE: "Daniel Hannan is Conservative MEP for South East England." See Hannan's Wikipedia entry;
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Friday, November 30, 2007
NAMING 'TERRORISTS'
- 'President Brandishes His Own Terror Threat' (Inter Press Service, Ángel Páez) "President Alan García announced he would publish a list of the names of 1,800 "freed terrorists", so that people might recognise them and report them if they were participating in conspiracies against the state. "I’m going to give the country the list of the 1,800 terrorists so everyone knows exactly who their neighbours are, and what each of the freed prisoners is doing," said García. "We can’t be so naïve as to believe they have completely changed, and that just because they have sworn on the Bible that they are democrats, they really are." García made no distinctions between those who had served their sentences, those who were acquitted for lack of evidence, and those who were pardoned because their trials were deemed invalid."
- 'New Funding Allows IOM To Provide Emergency Assistance' (International Organization for Migration)
- 'Mexico's Protexa Seeks Gas Supply To Build Peru Methane Plant' (Bloomberg, Thomas Black) "Protexa is bidding for natural-gas supplies in Peru as part of a plan to spearhead a $700 million methane project. Argentina's Pluspetrol SA, which is developing the $1.6 billion Camisea gas field in Peru, will select a winning bidder next week for about 50 million cubic feet of gas a day for at least 15 years, said Hector Chavez, director of Protexa's land construction division."
- 'Scotiabank Talking To Acquire 9th Biggest Commercial Bank in Peru' (Canadian Press, David Friend) "Scotiabank is in talks with the controlling shareholder of Banco del Trabajo, the ninth-largest commercial bank in Peru, about a possible acquisition. Financial details were not disclosed. The Peruvian bank had US$386 million in total assets at the end of September, which represents a one per cent market share."
- 'Investment Boost For Peru' (International Construction, Becca Wilkins) "The government of Peru's central department Huánuco has signed an investment agreement with South Korean company Hoosung Development, in an effort to ensure the company's participation in large infrastructure, mining and electricity projects."
- Andean American Mining Corp reports Infill Drilling at Invicta Project, Peru, Intersects High Grade Gold (Andan American Mining press release) See also: 2nd Q Financial Results
- Sinchao Metals Announces Discovery of 161 Metres Grading 0.81% Copper and 0.71 g/t Gold on the Sinchao Property, Peru' (Sinchao Metals press release)
- Hints From Heloise (Advice Column): "My husband and I took a wonderful trip to Peru ..."
- Sofia Mulanovich Triumphs In ASP Women's World Tour (Los Angeles Times, Pete Thomas) "Now Mulanovich appears to be best-positioned to claim both the world title and the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing championship."
- 'Former Wallidan ace speaks from Peru' (Daily Observer, Ghana, Nanama Keita) "Gambian international and former Wallidan player, Yankuba Ceesay, commonly known as Mal, is enjoying his trade in Peru after a difficult start in the South American nation. His First Division club, Alianza Atletico, are continuing their good run in the Peruvian league as the 2007 season draws to an end."
- 'Foreign Adoptions In US Drop' (Associated Press, David Crary) "He mentioned Kenya, Peru and Brazil as countries not now among the major sources of children, but which might increase international adoptions in coming years."
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
PORT STRIKE
- 'Port Strike Blocks Shipments' (wire report in Miami Herald) "A Peruvian port workers strike in its eighth day is blocking copper, zinc and lead shipments, Peru's National Society of Mining, Petroleum & Energy said.The strike at Lima's Callao port, the country's largest, has cost mining companies $90 million in lost shipments to date, the group's president, Ysaac Cruz, said. Peru is the world's third-largest producer of copper and zinc and fourth in lead."
- 'Murder Attempt Against A Journalist Under Threat From A Local Lobbying Organization' (Reporters With Borders) "Reporters Without Borders today strongly condemned a murder attempt against Danilo Bautista Hernández, presenter of a news programme on Radio California in Nueva Cajamarca, San Martín, north-eastern Peru by two men who aimed a gun at him before fleeing when they were disturbed."
- 'JCB Digs In To Help Peru After Quake' (The Sentinel, Staffordshire, UK) "Digger giant JCB has donated a backhoe loader worth £35,000 to help rebuild parts of Peru damaged by an earthquake in August.The earthquake killed 650 people and left about 1,000 wounded to the south and east of the capital Lima."
- 'Peru company to offer 30-year home mortgages' (Reuters, Terry Wade) "Peruvians will be offered up to $500 million in home loans with terms of 30 years by the InVita insurance company, officials said on Wednesday as access to credit widens in the poor Andean country during swift economic growth."
- 'Doe Run Peru: Independent Audits Confirm that Doe Run Peru Meets Emissions Standards' (Doe Run Peru press release)
- 'International Minerals Completes First Drillling Campaign at Urbaque Gold Property, Peru' (International Minerals press release)
- Ventura Gold Commences Drilling at Inmaculada Gold Project in Peru (Ventura press release)
- 'British Woman Arrested in Peru Airport With 4 Kilos of Cocaine' (Associated Press)
- 'British Woman In Peru Drug Arrest' (BBC)
- 'British Woman, 20, Faces 15 Years In Peru Jail' (Daily Mail)
- 'Woman Held In Peru In Cocaine Investigation' (Daily Echo, UK) "Rachel Franklin, from Southampton, was reportedly arrested at the capital Lima's Jorge Chavez Airport on Sunday evening as she attempted to board a flight to Madrid, allegedly carrying nearly 9lb (4kg) of the drug in her baggage."
- 'UK Woman Held In Peru Drugs Probe' (The Guardian)
- 'Drugs Suspect Still Held In Peru' (Hampshire News, UK, Duncan Eaton) "The woman has spoken for the first time of her fears of facing a long jail sentence after being arrested for allegedly smuggling £250,000 worth of cocaine out of Peru. Rachel Franklin, 20, was stopped as she waited to board a plane to Spain at Lima's Jorge Chavez airport. It is reported that police discovered 8lb of the drug in her luggage. Rachel, who admits she was stupid and naïve, said: "I have got three A-levels and I wanted to do something with my life. Now it is all ruined. I should have just said no."
- 'Jewish Athletes Compete In Maccabi Games' (Miami Herald, Jose Cassola) "The XXVI Maccabi Games, a weeklong athletic competition during which teams vie for top honors for the countries they represent, drew more than 1,600 participants from toddlers to senior citizens Nov. 17-25. Competitors represented several countries including Peru."
- 'Intrepid Duo Reach Peru' (West Sussex County Times) "James Hooper and Rob Gauntlett have 15,000 miles to travel using only human and natural power to get to the finish line in Sydney, Australia."
- 'Conservative Anglican Province Accepts Breakaway Canadians' (Associated Press) "Retired Canadian bishop Malcolm Harding, formerly of the Manitoba Diocese of Brandon, announced he has become a bishop in the Province of the Southern Cone, which includes Anglican churches in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay." See related press release and Agence France Press from Nov 22
- 'Ex-UT Student In Peru Sought For Drunken-Driving Death Charges' (Associated Press, Texas) "Travis County and federal authorities are seeking the extradition of a former University of Texas student accused of being drunk when she caused a fatal car wreck 11 years ago. Evelyn Mezzich, 29, lives in Lima, Peru."
- 'Father of wreck victim doesn't want driver extradited' (Associated Press, Texas)
- 'Canadian Woman Faces Extradition From Peru' (Associated Press and Toronto Sun, Canada) "Mezzich was born in Canada but has citizenship in Peru, the country of her parents' birth."
- 'Victim's father: Let woman accused in fatal car crash get on with her life' (American-Statesman, Steven Kreytak)
- 'Fugitive's MySpace Page Outrages Dead Teen's Mom' (Houston Chronicle, Mike Tolson) "Peruvian never faced justice for '96 Austin wreck"
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
FUJI FILES
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- 'Peru Court Sentences Coup Backers' (BBC) "Ten former ministers in Peru have been sentenced for their part in a 1992 coup d'etat against their own government ... including Juan Briones, Jaime Yoshiyama, Carlos Bolona, Absalon Vasquez, Víctor Joy Way, Oscar de la Puente, Jaime Sobero, Alfredo Ross, Víctor Paredes and Augusto Antonioli."
- 'Peru Court Sentences Fujimori Aides For Power Grab' (Reuters, Marco Aquino)
- 'Ex-Minister Gets Jail For Aiding Fujimori' (wires in Washington Post) "Former Peruvian interior minister Juan Briones D¿vila has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for helping then-President Alberto Fujimori send tanks to shut down Congress and Peru's judiciary in 1992."
- 'Peru Police Kill Leading Rebel' (BBC, Dan Collyns)
- 'Peru police kill Shining Path commander in drug zone' (Reuters, Terry Aquino and Terry Wade) "Police killed a commander of the Shining Path insurgency [Epifanio Espiritu Acosta, who used the alias JL] and arrested eight guerrillas in Huanuco, officials said on Tuesday, after clashing with the group for the third time this month. ... Officials say the Shining Path has small but active groups in the country's main coca-growing areas, with total membership of about 400."
- 'Police Kill Senior Rebel Leader in Central Peru' (Xinha News Agency) "Special forces officers from the Peruvian National Police clashed with rebels at 3:00 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) in Cerro Azul, a town some 450 km northeast of Peru's capital Lima. Espiritu is considered to be the deputy to Comrade Artemio, the Path's last active leader, whose real name is unknown."
- Physicians For Human Rights Release Report on Maternal Mortality and the Right to Health in Peru (PHR press release) Full Report: 'Deadly Delays: Maternal Mortality in Peru, A Rights-Based Approach to Safe Motherhood'; see report in Spanish; "Peru's persistently high maternal mortality ratio, the second highest in South America, dramatically illustrates systemic inequities that ravage the overall society and in turn reflect systematic violations of human rights and vast disparities in the health care system."
- 'Peru's Congress Approves 2008 Fiscal Budget Of PEN 71.05 Billion' (Dow Jones, Robert Kozak) "There were 62 votes in favor in the unicameral Congress, compared with 32 against."
- 'Peru Congress OKs 2008 Spending Rise of 15%' (Reuters, Marco Aquino) "Peru's Congress approved on Tuesday a public-sector budget for 2008 of 71 billion soles ($23.6 billion), with a planned 15% climb in spending from 2007 as infrastructure investments rise. President Alan Garcia plans to spend more on highways, schools and hospitals at a time when the Andean country's economy is growing swiftly. Garcia wants to reduce the poverty rate to 30 percent by 2011, when he leaves office, from around 44.5 percent now."
- 'Motorola, Claro Peru pick winners for Beckham promotion' (Telecom Paper)
- Plexmar Resources Offers Bolsa del Diablo Project Update (Plexmar press release)
- 'Bulgarian Drug Trafficker Caught with 14 Kilos of Cocaine in Peru' (Novinite, Sofia News Agency) "Vladimir Konstantinov, 38, was arrested after trained dogs smelled the drug substance hidden into one of his suitcases."
- 'Letter: Help Us Send Blankets To Peru' (Nottingham Evening Post) "We would love to send 50. We wish to send them to a small Anglican church on the outskirts of Peru, which a church member is in touch with."
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
FUJI FILES
- 'Peru Court Sentences Fujimori Aides For Power Grab' (Reuters)
- 'Ex-Ministers Convicted in Peru 'Coup' (Associated Press)
- 'Shining Path Rebels and the War on Drugs' (Inter Press Service, Ángel Páez) "A surviving faction of Peru’s Shining Path guerrillas has launched an offensive against anti-drug police units in the Apurímac and Ene river valleys -- an area known by the acronym VRAE -- in one of the country’s main coca-growing and cocaine-producing regions."
- 'Farm Groups Urge Senate To Pass Peru Free Trade Agreement' (Delta Farm Press, Forrest Laws) “American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and service providers will at last have preferential access to this growing market,” U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said following the House vote. “Peru’s people will be able to enjoy continued economic growth and greater economic and political stability by cementing a trade relationship with the world’s largest market.”
- 'Scotiabank Plans To Buy Peru's Banco de Trabajo' (Banking Business Review)
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Monday, November 26, 2007
POLLING GARCIA
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- 'Peru President Garcia's Support Remains Low in National Poll' (Dow Jones, Robert Kozak) "A survey done by pollster Ipsos Apoyo Opinion y Mercado SA showed that support for Garcia rose slightly from 30% in October, the lowest level so far in his term, which began in July of last year. ... "The population is tired of hearing of stupendous macroeconomic indicators, and people are impatient to feel more progress in their daily lives," Torres said. "People aren't asking for a change in the economic model, but they do want a share of the benefits," he added."
- OPINION: 'Calculation and Conviction' (Washington Post, Fred Hiatt) "It's true that [Barack Obama] favors the tiny Peru trade agreement. But with polls showing increasing anxiety in Iowa about globalization, Obama has turned up the anti-trade rhetoric, opposing the more meaningful agreement proposed with South Korea and ignoring NAFTA's record of raising living standards here and in Mexico."
- 'Mine workers planning another strike in Peru' (Reuters, Teresa Cespedes)
- 'Scotiabank Chile's No. 6 Bank After Acquisition' (Reuters, Antonio de la Jara) "Separately, Scotiabank signed an exclusive agreement last week to negotiate the acquisition of Peru's Banco del Trabajo, controlled by Chile's Altas Cumbres group."
- Pacific Stratus Signs On Peru Line (Upstream) "Canadian South America player Pacific Stratus said it had officially signed exploration and production contracts for Blocks 135, 137 and 138 in northern Peru at a ceremony hosted by Peruvian President Alan Garcia."
- 'Peru Workshops Highlight 'Destination Diversity' (Travel Mole, Australia, Thomas E. King) "Representatives from Condor Travel, Inkanatura Travel, Grayline Peru – Viajes Pacifico, Lima Tours S.A., Neuvo Mundo Viajes, Solmartur, Viracocha Tourismo Internacional and PromPeru, the national tourism organisation responsible for promotion and marketing attended the Sydney function and will be at the workshop and presentations being held in the Mercure Melbourne tonight. ... [In Latin America] Peru is the top destination for Australians followed by Chile, Argentina and Brazil."
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Sunday, November 25, 2007
TRAVEL
- 'Soaking Up the Pleasures Of Peru's Rain Forest' (Washington Post, David Creason) "My Dorothy-in-Oz moment occurred on our first night at a lodge on a creek off the Amazon. Linda was returning from the dinner buffet when a tapir walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room."
- 'Goodbye To Paper Airline Tickets Is Speeding Up' (New York Times, Hilary Howard) Peru is #2 (behind China) in the usage of e-tickets.
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