Lockdown

On Sunday, October 21st, the whole of Peru is under house arrest. Nobody may leave their home; no business may open; even the homeless will be rounded up and confined to sports stadiums. Police and military will patrol the streets to enforce the “immobility order”.
The reason for this unprecedented measure is the National Census, run [...]

Machu Picchu train company fined under monopoly law

The Trans-Andean Railway Company, responsible for rail transport to Machu Picchu, has been fined over $185,000 for operating an illegal monopoly. The company has also been ordered to cease its practice of refusing to sublet trains and other equipment that it rents from the state.
According to its contract, it is obliged to rent these units [...]

Grenade and cannabis plantation found in Lima avenue

A fragmentation grenade and more than 200 cannabis plants have been found in an avenue in Lima’s La Victoria region.
Municipal gardeners came across the grenade at about 10am, while tending the plants in the central reservation of San Eugenio Avenue. They immediately alerted police, who called specialist officers from the EDEX “bomb squad” division to [...]

Machu Picchu entrance fee may rise to $100

 
Peruvian tourism minister Mercedes Araoz today discussed the measures that may be put into place to preserve Machu Picchu, including further entry controls and the construction of a cable car system, in association with UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization.
“We have to administer the entry system and the administration of tours, as well as [...]

Loreto strike in force

The 72 hour regional strike in Peru’s jungle Loreto region has started, with road blocks on the Tarapoto-Yurimaguas highway and closures on all levels.
The strike, called by the local government in response to new taxation laws concerning the area, is estimated as having a 90% impact on the region’s commercial and official activities including [...]

Apolo, Bolivia, calls on Peru to invade

Locals of an ecological reserve in Bolivia have held protests demanding that they be annexed by Peru. Waving Peruvian flags, as many as 4,000 people filled the local square and called on the mayor to extend an invitation to Peru to occupy the region.
The small town of Apolo, located just 6 hours’ walk from the [...]

Newborn found abandoned in Puno

With the umbilical cord still attached, a new born baby weighing 3.3kg (7lbs 4oz) was left abandoned near an orphanage in the mountain city of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The infant was wrapped in a sweatshirt, and would not have survived the freezing temperatures that Puno experiences each night.
Police operatives found [...]

Andean nations stand firm against FIFA altitude football ban

FIFA’s decision to ban international football games in high altitude stadiums is causing outrage in the Andean zone.
Peruvian football officials have suggested that if the ruling to bar venues located above 2,500m comes into effect, stadiums in regions prone to high temperature (such as Sao Paolo) and humidity (such as Buenos Aires) should also be [...]

Lima bus prices set to rise up to 50%

 
Lima’s urban transport prices may be set to rise by 20-50% due to increases in fuel costs, according to East Lima transport corporation leader Julio Raurau.
He explained that this month’s price increase, by around 80 centimos per gallon, have forced the corporation to conduct a technical study into price increases to offset costs.
He said that [...]

Pisco to strike against alleged Paracas pollution

Pisco’s Mayor, Juan Mendoza, yesterday revealed that the city will hold a civic strike on June 6th, to protest against Pluspetrol’s alleged pollution of the Paracas Bay.
He described the move as a call for the national government’s attention regarding the situation of his community, and that a decision will then be made as to [...]