"In mid-June 2002, the residents and local government of the city of Arequipa, Peru, fiercly opposed the sale of two state-owned electric companies, Egasa and Egasur. The popular protest turned violent, and the central government responded by imposing a state of emergency and a curfew. The popular uprising successfully derailed the privatization program, not least by triggering a cabinet shake-up and thus weakening the newly installed democratic regime of Alejandro Toledo. Arequipa's local officials and residents dreaded higher electricity prices and worker layoffs. They objected to the sale of electric companies that were profitable under state management."
Last night, we went to see the band Libido at Arequipa's Jardin de Cerveza ("Beer Garden"). Tickets cost us $2.30 each, so we figured it would be win-win however the band performed. 
The fatal incident in Bagua last June (see NYT story) came to be a decisive moment for Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez' administration. El Comercio, one of Perú's national newspapers reported the official casualties: 11 policemen dead, 3 indigenous dead, 109 injured and 36 civilians detained. But indigenous sources confirmed that more than 20 civilians died and 140 were injured. Months later, the Peruvian human rights organization APRODEH published a report confirming that 61 civilians disappeared, 133 were detained by the police and 189 were injured. The international press had other numbers altogether: The New York Times reported 24 policeman and 10 civilians dead. Days after the incident, the BBC reported 40 civilians and 14 policemen dead.
El incidente fatal en Bagua llegó a ser un momento decisivo para la administración del presidente Alan García Pérez. El Comercio reportó que las cifras oficiales fueron 11 policías muertos (dos de ellos desaparecidos), 3 nativos fallecidos, 109 heridos y 36 detenidos, pero los indígenas afirmaron más de 20 nativos fallecidos y 140 heridos. Después, la organización peruana de derechos humanos APRODEH confirmó que 61 civiles desaparecidos, 133 detenidos por la policía y 189 heridos. La prensa internacional publicó otras cifras. Los números oficiales del New York Times reportaron que 24 policías y 10 civiles murieron. Días después, BBC reportó que 40 civiles y 14 policías murieron.
Although the facts remain unclear about what happened in the northern Peruvian province of Bagua on June 5, 2009, it is very clear that the indigenous communities of the Amazon have distinct ideas about how the jungle should be developed than those promulgated by the Garcia administration. The violent encounter between police and indigenous civilians was the result of an indigenous protest that blocked the main highway. The protest was part of a series of demonstrations initiated by Amazonian indigenous groups that opposed the opening of large tracts of the Peruvian jungle for oil exploration and hydroelectric plants. These protests interrupted oil production, halted transportation and commerce on important highways, waterways and in airports. They spread from the north of Perú down through the southern sierra, where at one point, the protesters took over a station of the huge natural gas plant Camisea.
Aunque los hechos se queden inconcretos sobre lo que pasó en la provincia norteña de Bagua el 5 de junio de 2009, es claro que las comunidades indígenas amazonicas tienen ideas distintas de las que se promulga la administración de García sobre en cómo se debe desarrollar la selva. El enfrentamiento violento entre la policía y civiles indígenas fue resultado de una protesta indígena que bloqueó la carretera. Dicha manifestación fue parte de una serie de protestas iniciadas por los grupos indígenas amazonas que se opusieron a la exploración petrolera y la construcción de plantas hidroeléctricas en grandes áreas de la selva peruana. Las protestas cortaron la producción del petróleo, pararon el transporte y comercio en las carreteras, los ríos y los aeropuertos. Las cuales sucedieron desde el norte en la selva hasta el sur en la sierra. En un punto, los indígenas tomaron una estación del gran proyecto de gas natural Camisea.
Specifically, the protesters opposed regulatory changes made by President Garcia to facilitate the development of projects by multinational companies in the Amazon. These changes were part of a regulatory overhaul to prepare the country for its free trade agreement with the United States and Canada (just implemented this February 2009).
Precisamente, los protestantes opusieron unos cambios de regulaciones en las leyes peruanas que hizo el presidente Alan García para que sea mas fácil para las compañías multinacionales obtener permiso para su proyectos en la selva. Dichos cambios fueron parte de una revisión regulatoria para preparar al país para el trato de libre comercio con los Estados Unidos y Canadá.
Many Peruvians said that the changes were a step forward for the country. They would help Peru open itself to international commerce and investment, finally using the country's available natural resources to bring wealth to Peruvians. Even more, in a country were almost 30% of the population lives in the capital city and another 40% live in urban areas, basic necessities like water, electricity and oil are at the front of many people's minds.
Muchos peruanos dijeron que los cambios fueron un paso adelante para el país. Los cuales apoyaron al Perú a abrirse más al mundo, usando por fin su gran cantidad de recursos naturales para enriquecer a la gente peruana. Además, en un país donde casi 30% de la población vive en la ciudad capital y la otra 40% vive en ciudades urbanas, las necesidades básicas como agua potable, energía y petróleo son las primeras consideraciones.
In contrast, the people of the jungle said that these regulatory changes made it more easy for foreign companies to circumvent the local indigenous community in pursuing their development projects. The fact support their perceptions. A study done by Duke University concluded that already "at least 58 of the 64 areas obtained by multinational companies for oil exploration are located on land titled to indigenous people." They felt that the government was implementing a development strategy by force. Worried for the loss of their land and feeling excluded from the decision-making process, the indigenous groups organized with strength and started a series of protests that culminated with the events in Bagua.
En cambio, la gente de la selva dijo que estos cambios regulatorios hicieron más fácil el dejar de considerar sus opiniones y derechos en futuros proyectos en la selva. Un estudio hecho por Duke University concluyó que “por lo menos 58 de los 64 áreas obtenidos por compañías multinacionales para exploración de petróleo se quedan sobre tierra designado a la gente indígena.” Además, se siente que el gobierno esta implementado una estrategia de desarrollo por la fuerza. Preocupando por la perdida de sus tierras y sintiendo excluidos del proceso, los grupos indígenas organizaron con fuerza y comenzaron la serie de protestas que terminó con el evento de Bagua.
Defending his position, President Garcia expressed an opinion held by many Peruvians: "We have to understand that when there are resources like oil, gas and wood, they don't belong only to the people that had the luck to be born where they are. If so, that would mean that more than half of the country's territory would belong to a few thousand people." In reality the Amazon population is much bigger; according to a recent national census, there are more than 320,000 indigenous people that live in the jungle. Nevertheless, the laws reinforce his stated development policy. All of the mineral rights in Perú are owned by the government, regardless of their location.
En defender su posición, el presidente García expresó la opinión de muchos peruanos cuando dijo lo siguiente: “Tenemos que entender que cuando hay recursos como petróleo, gas y madera, ellos no pertenecen solo a la gente que tuvo la suerte de nacer ahí, porque eso significaría que más de la mitad del territorio del Perú pertenecería a unos pocos miles de personas.” En realidad, la población amazona es mucha más alta; según una encuesta nacional, hay más de 320,000 personas indígenas que viven en la selva. Sin embargo, las leyes refuerzan dicha política de desarrollo. Todos los derechos sobre los minerales en el Perú son del estado, sin importar su ubicación.
While the president declared a state of emergency in April 2009, the conflict didn't come to a head until Bagua in June. At that point, the government had to choose between responding to indigenous demands or risking more protests that would destabilize the country's sources of energy and put in question security for international investment in Perú. Days after the violent incident, President Garcia apologized for not having consulted the indigenous community in his plans for developing the jungle. He reversed the regulatory changes that would have opened the Amazon to more development. The indigenous community took the decision as a victory.
Aunque el presidente declaro un estado de emergencia en abril, el conflicto llegó a su clímax con Bagua en junio. El gobierno tuvo que elegir entre responder a las demandas indígenas o enfrentar más protestas que desestabilizaran la fuente de energía y pusieran en peligro la seguridad del país para inversión extranjera. Días después del conflicto, el presidente García se disculpó por no haber consultado a la comunidad indígena en sus planes para la selva y anuló los cambios que la hubieran abierto para el desarrollo. La comunidad indígena tomó como una victoria la decisión.
The Andean Quechua people have an old myth about pishtacos, vampire-like men who suck the fat out of their victims. The Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa wrote about pishtacos in his book, Death in the Andes:
Pishtacos "needed human fat to make church bells sing more sweetly and tractors run more smoothly, and now, lately, to give the government to pay off the foreign debt ... They not only slit their victims' throats but butchered them like cattle, or sheep, or hogs, and ate them. Bled them drop by drop and got drunk on the blood."
Sergio’s grandfather is said to have had a run-in with a pishtaco. As a truck driver, he slept on the side of the road one night, and woke up with a giant cut on his lower back where he thought the pishtaco had extracted his fat.
The only thing that could make Brad Pitt sexier is if he were Latin. Just my luck, here I've found his Cuban twin--William Levy!
Thanks to Will as the co-star, I have become attached to a Mexican telenovela (soap opera) called Sortilegio. Weeknights at 9 p.m. What the show lacks in acting talent, it makes up in hotness. Jacky Bracamontes is quite the saucy actress as well.
And just your luck, I found this promo in English:
Painted near the port in Arica, Chile: "Lemon juice doesn't kill germs"
El cebiche es conocido por todo el mundo como un plato típico y querido por los peruanos que trae pescado crudo cocido en jugo de limón y rocoto. Pero muchos extranjeros no saben de la guerra del cebiche.
Known and enjoyed worldwide, ceviche is a traditional Peruvian dish consisting of raw fish cooked in lemon juice and seasoned with rocoto. (See a photo of my plate of ceviche.) Many people, however, don't know about the war over ceviche.
Aunque Sudamérica no haya visto una epidemia del cólera desde los 1800s, el Perú, por una falta de agua potable, buenos servicios de desagüe y buena asistencia de salud, especialmente en los pueblos jóvenes, llegó a ser el epicentro de una epidemia continental de cólera en 1991.
Even though South America hadn't seen a cholera epidemic since the 1800s, Peru, for it's lack of drinkable water and inadequate sewage systems and healthcare--especially in the shantytowns--came to be the epicenter of an continent-wide cholera epidemic in 1991. As a result of the rising ocean temperatures that came with El Niño, the bacteria cholera could grow and spread more easily in the small port town of Chimbote north of Lima.
¿Pero que tiene que ver la epidemia del cólera con “una guerra del cebiche”? Cuando el cólera apareció en Chimbote, casi todos los infectados dijeron que comieron pescado antes de enfermarse. La batalla pública entre las recomendaciones de salud y las acciones de las industrias afectadas pareció como una guerra. Como publicó la revista peruana Caretas en un articulo satírico escrito al estilo de una obra del teatro, el gobierno propaló informaciones contradictorias sobre los riesgos de comer pescado.
What does the cholera epidemic have to do with a "ceviche war"? When cholera appeared in Chimbote, almost all of those infected said that they had eaten fish before getting sick. The public relations battle between sound health recommendations and the assurances of those industries affected by them played out like a war. As the Peruvian magazine Caretas outlines in a satirical article written in the style of a theatre play, the government provided contradictory information about the risks of eating fish and contracting cholera.
La serie de eventos descritos por Caretas en la “Tragedia de Errores,” revela unas contradicciones tan irónicas que si no hubieran muerto tantos peruanos, podríamos habernos reído de ellas. Por ejemplo, el 7 de febrero, el Ministro de Salud Vidal aconsejó a los peruanos que no comieran cebiche, hirvieran el agua para beber y no viajaran a la playa. Pero solo tres días después del anuncio, el presidente Fujimori y su familia fueron a la playa de vacaciones.
The series of events described by Caretas in it's "Tragedy of Errors" reveals contradictions so ironic that if so many Peruvian hadn't died in the cholera epidemic, they might be funny. For example, on February 7, Health Minister Vidal recommended to all Peruvians that they not eat ceviche, boil water before drinking it nor go to the beach. Only three days after this announcement, President Fujimori and his family took a beach vacation.
Obviamente, el efecto de sus sugerencias fue que los peruanos dejaron de comer cebiche y el pescado en general. Muchas cebicherías quebraron. Al extremo que la municipalidad de Lima confiscó platos de cebiche vendidos por los vendedores en las calles. La presión de la industria pesquera debió haber sido fuerte porque solo una semana después, un grupo de oficiales del Ministerio de Salud, doctores y periodistas cenaron juntos, comiendo solo pescado.
Obviously, the effect of the Health Minister's recommendations was that Peruvians stopped eating ceviche, and even fish in general. Many restaurants went bankrupt. To an extreme, Lima's city government confiscated plates of ceviche sold by street vendors. The economic pressure on the fish industry must have been strong between only a few days later, a group of Health Ministry officials, doctors and journalists had a public dinner together where only fish was served.
La guerra llegó a su clímax cuando después de dos semanas el presidente Fujimori visitó Pisco, comió cebiche frente a todos los periodistas y dijo que su familia nunca dejó de comer pescado durante la crisis del cólera. El Viceministro de Pesquera copió el ejemplo del presidente y también comió un plato de cebiche. El Ministro de Salud tuvo que afirmar, aún diplomáticamente, que el comer la comida cruda es peligroso y aumentar la campaña de comida sana.
The war came to a climax when after two weeks, President Fujimori visited the town of Pisco. He ate ceviche in front of a group of journalists and said that his family never stopped eating fish during the cholera outbreak. The Fishing Viceminister copied his example and also ate a plate of ceviche. The Health Minister had to quickly affirm, although diplomatically, that to eat raw fish is dangerous. He quickly accelerated the campaign for sanitary consumption.
Caretas citó, como el final dramático de su obra, que como resultado de la guerra y las informaciones contradictorias y la confusión del público, un nuevo brote del cólera con más de 500 casos, se mostró en Chimbote.
Caretas cites as the dramatic finale of their play that as a result of the public relations war, contradictory information and public confusion, a new cholera outbreak of 500 cases occurred in same port town the epidemic started in--Chimbote.
Entre 1991 y 1994 en el Perú, 3,000-10,000 murieron del cólera y aproximadamente 330,000 fueron hospitalizados. Aunque hayan pasado 15 años, se preocupa de que, a causa del calentamiento global, la temperatura oceánica va a crear un ambiente ideal para la bacteria cólera, lo cual presentará un gran riesgo para la gente del Perú.
Between 1991 and 1994, approximately 3,000 and 10,000 Peruvians died of cholera and 330,000 were hospitalized. Although 15 years have gone by, scientists and health officials worry that, with global warming (see NPR story), ocean temperatures will create an ideal environment for the cholera bacteria, a scenario that could again present a great risk for the people of Peru.
Postscript: This essay is one of my first for Spanish class, translated for your reading pleasure. I hope to have more interesting topics coming your way in two languages!
"Everything in our work is inspired by putting value on Peruvian products that are undervalued," Acurio says. "We are trying to globalize our traditions and make them global brands."And in Peru, he publishes a series of cooking books, seen here on sale at a newspaper stand:
“With Peru’s glaciers predicted to disappear by 2050, the Andes need trees to capture the moisture coming from Amazonia, which is also the source of water going down to the coast,” said Mr. Chepstow-Lusty in an interview from Cuzco, in Peru’s highlands. “Hence a major program of reforestation is required, both in the Andes and on the coast.”
Nothing on this scale is happening around Ica. Instead, the growth that one sees in poor villages are of shantytowns called pueblos jóvenes, where residents eke out a living as farmhands or in mining camps.
If you're interested in Peru and the environment, I recently posted about the struggles Arequipa faces, as well as global warming's effects in Andes.
"Apart from family snapshots, most photographs of Peru are taken by 'outsiders' looking in--tourists, journalists, anthropologists, aid workers. But the Lima-based Social Photography Workshops (TAFOS) has put Yashica T3 cameras loaded with T-MAX film in the hands of 'insiders,' with dramatic results. Not only is their relation to their subjects unique (they are members of the communities they photograph); they also capture moments invisible to most outsiders, like the lonely protest march of peasants across a Puno moor or the street vendor hawking his wares against an ancient Inca wall."
Or at least it's historical buildings. UNESCO has given Arequipa an ultimatum: if they don't start taking better care of the Plaza de Armas, UNESCO will be forced to remove its title as a World Heritage site. 
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