PERUVIA: A Synthesis of English Language News on Peru

Today is IWD: The International Confederation Of Free Trade Unions offers an interview with Guillermina Huaman Salazar, the CUT union representative for women in the informal economy on today, March 8, International Women's Day. Huaman Salazar is also the minutes and records secretary of the Departmental Federation of Street Vendors (FEDEVAL) in Lima and Callao. (See FEDEVAL's parent organization's web site, Central Unitaria de Trabajadores del Peru.) "We, as women, find that we are socially ignored, exploited, and that our social, economic and cultural rights are not defended. All of this creates instability of our living and working conditions, and limits our development. Women are asking for full recognition from the state, Peruvian society, and the international community. We want the laws and municipal by-laws that regulate and provide for the socio-economic activities within our country's informal economy to be better established.

Newmont Case Cont.: The Denver Post (Greg Griffin) reports that "Newmont Mining Corp. is again squaring off against Peruvian villagers over a 2000 mercury spill near South America's largest gold mine." The trial, should it take place, will be in the Denver Distric Court. CITED: Ken Crowder (Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack) represents the plaintiffs, "1,100 Peruvians who live in Andean villages where the mercury was spilled." Doug Hock (Newmont spokesman) declared that "The parties have very disparate views about the value of settlement. ... Plaintiffs counsel did not want to continue to try to bridge the gap."

Surfing Reigns: Reuters (Jude Webber) runs another surfing story pegged on the "new world women's champion, 21-year-old Peruvian Sofia Mulanovich, [who] has turned a surfing spotlight back on Peru and sparked a can-do attitude for those aspiring to join her. NOTE: Peru in February hosted a competition of the junior league, the World Qualifying Series. CITED: Jake Howard (Surfer Magazine) and Chelsea Georgeson (Australian surfer). The piece starts/ends with surfing history and includes the perennial Hector Velarde, winner of an unofficial 1962 world championship, Eduardo Arena, a Peruvian who was the first president of the International Surfing Federation, and the first official world champion, Peruvian Felipe Pomar in 1965.

Permalink; posted by Peruvia : 5:53 AM

Tuesday, March 08, 2005