Articles

  • Editorial: Towards a Festival of Democracy?

    Update 139. April / May 2010

    Thirty years after Peru held its first democratic elections, following 12 years of military rule, the country is gearing up for the latest round of electoral contests: municipal and regional elections in October, followed by presidential and congressional elections next April.

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  • Consultation Law Gives New Hope to Indigenous Peoples

    Update 139. April / May 2010

    A year ago, Peruvians were aghast by the tragic turn of events at Bagua, a small town in the northern jungle. At least 15 policemen and five members of the Awajun indigenous tribe died in a violent clash on June 5. An additional five inhabitants of Bagua and Bagua Grande were killed by the police and another nine policemen by indigenous people at an oil pumping station.

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  • Editorial: Towards Elections - Neoliberalism or Neoliberalism?

    Update 138. February / March 2010

    In just over a year's time, Peruvians will be going to the polls to elect a new president and Congress. At this point, it is impossible to know who will win. There will probably be a proliferation of candidates for president; the allure of office (and all that goes with it) provides a powerful attraction to members of the political class and even those outside it.

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  • International Women's Day 2010: Stop, Think, and Become a Leader - WOMANKIND's Work in Peru

    Update 138. February / March 2010

    To commemorate International Women's Day on March 8th, the PSG asked UK-based NGO WOMANKIND to contribute an article to this edition of the Peru Update to bring our members up to date on its work in Peru. Besides its work in Peru, the organisation also works closely with 37 partner community groups in 15 developing countries.

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  • PSG Statement: Fujimori Guilty of Human Rights Violations & Sentenced to 25 Years in Jail

    09/04/2009

    The Peru Support Group (PSG) would like to express its support of the Peruvian judiciary, specifically the Supreme Court’s Special Criminal Court, for its unanimous ruling and sentencing of former Peruvian president, Alberto Fujimori, to 25 years in jail for crimes against humanity committed during his time in office (1990-2000).

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  • Editorial: EU Trade - Up Against the Deadline

    Update 137. December 2009 / January 2010

    At the end of January, Peruvian, Colombian and European negotiators failed to reach agreements in negotiations to create a Free Trade Agreement. With the May deadline set to sign agreements at the European Union (EU)-Latin America and Caribbean summit in Madrid fast approaching, some fancy footwork will be required to seal the deal.

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  • La Oroya Refinery

    Peru Set to Miss EITI Deadline

    Update 137. December 2009 / January 2010

    Peru will not meet all the requirements needed to gain certification of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, known as EITI, by its March 9th deadline. The EITI is a global standard that promotes revenue transparency for extractives industries (mining, oil and gas).

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  • Marco Arana

    Editorial: Arana Seeks to Establish a 'New' Left

    Update 136. October / November 2009

    In his speech to the PSG Conference in Oxford last month, Marco Arana called for a coming together of the Peruvian left around truly democratic values. Arana, a Catholic priest, has all but declared himself a candidate for the presidency, and is busy organising his Tierra y Libertad (Land and Freedom) party. His campaign hopes to reunify the left around a broad-based movement against the neoliberal policies pursued by the present García government and its predecessors.

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  • Fujimori

    Fujimori Appeals Conviction for Human Rights Abuses

    Update 136. October / November 2009

    The trial and conviction of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori for grave violations of human rights marks a watershed in the struggle against impunity in Peru and across the world. Since he fled the country in November 2000 in the wake of a series of scandals, Fujimori sought to evade justice. His decision to travel to Chile in 2005 led to his eventual extradition to Peru to stand trial for four cases of grave violations of human rights, as well as a long list of cases of corruption and abuse of power.

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  • Coca growers

    Editorial: Cocaine and Corruption

    Update 135. August / September 2009

    Squeeze the balloon here and the air pops up elsewhere. This is the age old problem facing drug eradication efforts in the Andes: suppress the production of coca and cocaine in one country (Colombia) and it simply moves to another location (Peru and Bolivia). According to a recent study, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Peru may have already taken over from Colombia as the world's number one exporter of cocaine.

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  • Contact Us

    Peru Support Group
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    89-93 Fonthill Road
    London N4 3JH
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  • Human Rights

    human rights

    Following nearly 15 years of internal war, violations of human rights continue. But in recent years, there have been a number of advances in the area of human rights. However, many innocent people remain in prison and the use of torture is common.

  • Women

    As well as over half the population living in poverty, chronic malnutrition is widespread. Inadequate and unequally distributed health services mean that the most vulnerable sectors of the society, women and children are worst affected.

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