The last days bring us news of all kinds. While the Argentinian company Pluspetrol reaches an agreement with the Achuar native community in the rainforest, Alan García proposes a congressman for Peruvians living abroad. The Armed Forces slip into another scandal and the mayor of Lima’s district Surquillo leaves half the city without electricity when celebrating his birthday. Did someone say politics are boring?
Plumb in the blood
The agreement between the native community and the Argentinian company was celebrated on Sunday 22nd and was arbitrated by both the government and the citizens’ ombudsman. Another contract had been signed few days before, but the conflicts did not stop. According to Jorge del Castillo, our Primer Minister, the community was pushed into conflict by an environmental NGO.
However, the central question is why the conflict arose. The Achuar community lives in the department and the province of Loreto (northeastern corner of Peru, in the rainforest) and depends from the water of the Corrientes river. Those who were complaining argued that Pluspetrol had polluted the river. Back in 2005, the citizens’ ombudsman, Beatriz Merino, had informed the former government of Alejandro Toledo in this respect. As a matter of fact, a survey commissioned by Ms Merino revealead that 50 % of the children living in that area had plumb levels in their blood that exceeded the limits established by the WHO.
The situation worsened this month when the Achuares irrupted in Pluspetrol’s fields located in the district of Trompeteros. As a result, the operations ceased until eventually an agreement was reached on 13 October. But soon after that, the Achuares objected that the agreement did not comprise the points that had been accorded. Operations were again paralised until, finally, an agreeement was reached on the 22nd.
The new agreement does not only oblige Pluspetrol to take steps for the protection of environment. It also compels the company to grant a health insurance for the native community. And the government commits itself to develop the infrastructure in that region by building a hospital (source: El Comercio).
A congressman for the foreigners
There is no doubt: The government of Alan García knows how to make the right symbolic gestures. Foreign Minister José García Belaúnde announced that from now on the 18 October shall be the “Day of Peruvians Living Abroad”. What have we done to deserve that honour?
According to García almost two million Peruvians live abroad (839,192 do so legally and 987,108 illegally) and the money transfers back home amount to more than three billion dollars a year.
In virtue of all that, García has proposed to ammend the Constitution so that Peruvian Congress may have a person representing Peruvians living abroad. That proposal is not new at all: Ántero Flores Aráoz had already presented such a bill, but it did not pass. Recall that during the last election, the votes of “foreigners” went to the Congressman running for Lima (see: El voto desde fuera es Voto Limeño).
Alan García tried to justify his proposal as follows:
It is being neglected that in the revolutionary perspective of communication media, computer sciences and the speed of electronic money Peru has not only 25 regions, […] but also an additional region located between California, Miami and New York. A region between Milan, Paris and Madrid and yet another one between Santiago and Buenos Aires (source: El Comercio).
In search of the lost provisions
After the scandal surrounding the construction of a highway, the army is now involved in the loss of 35 tons of military materials and provisions back in June 2000. Remember that the first scandal emerged because serious irregularities in the public tender for that construction had been discovered. As a first result, general Luis Hoyos de Vinatea was removed from his office as chief of the Military Region of the Centre.
The affair regarding the 35 lost tons was brought forward by the Commission of Defence in the Congress. Luis Gonzales Posada, chairman of that Commission, asked for the General Accounting Office to intervene (source: RPP)
If we stick to these last events and some other, the army does not seem able to enforce self-regulation. And that is worrying. The declarations and actions of the new Interior Ministre, Allan Wagner, have so far caused a good impression. There seems to be the willingness to put pressure for more transparency. But that is no guarantee for success.