For comic relief – I need it after the Bagua disaster.
Here’s a place down the street that got temporarily closed down for “sanitary reasons” or “disturbing the peace”.
Clausurado
These guys don't mess around
The brick wall behind the load of dirt is where the entrance is supposed to be. You see this kind of thing once in a while here in the regular neighborhoods in Cusco. Typically it’s a local watering hole that was too loud or unruly for its neighbors.
I’ve seen a number posts with ways you can express your voice about the bloodbath that happened yesterday in Bagua, in the Peruvian Amazon. Some good sites are Peruanista, Amazilia’s blog and IKN.
But frankly, the most effective action a US citizen can take is to write your elected representative and tell them no amount of free trade or money can ever be justification for bloodshed. Tell your reps that sections 16, 17 (labor) and 18 of the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement are nothing but pie-in-the-sky promises that have no validity outside the wealthy areas of Lima. The US ought to demand the FTA is frozen or revoked until the government of Peru gets a dose of social equity.
Because of what happened, and Alan Garcia’s comments, there can be no other alternative: Alan Garcia must resign. If this kind of bloodshed had taken place in Bolivia or Venezuela, there would be international condemnation all the way from the White House. The accepted belief in the US and Europe that the government of Alan Garcia (30% approval rating) is somehow better than that of Evo Morales or Hugo Chavez (60% approval ratings) is perhaps understandable due to ideologies, but nevertheless completely false.
The macro-economic gains that Peru has enjoyed have not translated to improved quality of life for people in the provinces. The deep-rooted divisions between ethnic groups have only been amplified as the wealthy in Lima sell out the country’s natural resources with little or no benefit for indigenous people. And finally, all the so-called economic gains are extremely short-sighted. If the world economy experiences significant inflation for a few years – which is entirely possible – the large sums of foreign investment Alan Garcia and his cronies now rave about will seem like a pittance. But by then it will be too late, Peru’s vast natural resources will have been sold out. Future generations will work for pennies-on-the-dollar to pay for today’s windfall for a bunch of rich old guys in suits.
There are many great opportunities in Peru, the idea that bloodshed and selling out 72% of the Peruvian Amazon is somehow justifiable or necessary for progress is deplorable.
Here’s the news about sad, needless loss of life in the ongoing dispute between the Peruvian government in Lima and the indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon, who are trying to protect their lands from development. In English from AP and in Spanish from El Comercio.
Another needless tragedy in a country that has fantastic human and natural resources.
There’s no justification for violence, and blame on both sides. Check out IKN for more insight on the developments leading up to this.
If the global events of the last year or so prove anything, it’s to be leary of rich old guys in suits. The money-at-all costs Peruvian government of Alan Garcia and APRA need to realize money is just a funny printed paper, making money in Lima is fruitless if it doesn’t improve the lives of all Peruvians.
UPDATE:
There are now 7 police and 22 indigenous civilians reported killed in the unrest in Bagua, in the Peruvian Amazon.
Pictures and reports of reporters possibly also killed at La Republica.
Protest in Bagua, Peruvian Amazon
More on the Bagua situation and how you can voice concern:
As they say in Belgium “Trop is Te Veel, and Te Veel is Trop”. Time for Alan Garcia to resign.
I’m worried that my brother – and many other good people – could lose their jobs in the GM bankruptcy (filing doc pdf). Now is not the time to point fingers or argue over the same stale disagreements that have existed for years, but a time to figure out how to make business better for the future.
The turnaround plans I’ve read in the media seem to consist mainly of wiping out shareholders (done), swapping debt for equity, and starting over. However, I haven’t seen much to address what I believe are structural problems at GM, such as:
So I wrote a turnaround plan for GM, admittedly from outside looking in. Hopefully some of it will fall on the right ears in Detroit, Washington, New York or Germany. You can download my GM turnaround plan from hayleyinternational.com. Although I wrote the presentation with GM in mind, many of the ideas are also relevant to other struggling, 20th century businesses.
Download GM turnaround plan – Powerpoint – html
I was influenced by ideas from others, most notably Option Armageddon and Umair Haque. If I overlooked any credits in the presentation, please let me know. If you use any of the ideas in the presentation, please also be so kind as to give credit.
My presentation is certainly no silver bullet to the GM restructuring (there’s billions in bondholder obligations), so feel free to add ideas in the comments or contact me for discussion.
Ward Welvaert
I’m so lucky in so many ways… love, career, family, travel, …
A silly stroke of luck again came my way last week. At ICPNA Cusco, where I teach English part time, the teachers are not supposed to wear jeans or sneakers. My boss has devoted ample time to this, but I keep flaunting that particular rule anyway.
The other day as I walked up to the main office my boss looked at me up and down, clearly not approving of my jeans and sneakers, when one of the academic coordinators sort of barged in among a bunch of teachers who were there and said…
A few of the teachers and I sort of played it down “you sure they were talking about me?” but I know my boss took notice. Thank you Rosanna !!!!
ESL students and me, in jeans and sneakers
Now I don’t wear jeans and sneakers to be difficult, but because:
Although I love Peru there are a lot of issues here, such as poverty, corruption, prejudice, environmental protections, protection of land for indigenous people, etc. I tell all my students to be rebels, stop accepting the status quo, if they want a better Peru they are the ones to make it better.
So I am a rebel, I try to lead by example, I wear jeans and sneakers to let my boss know there are more important issues to address than the kind of clothes people are wearing.
Thanks Rosanna, and thanks Silvana!!
Bueno, ya tengo 38 semanas y el gran dia se va acercando, solo tengo que estar alerta a las contracciones de parto, pero hay un problema no tengo idea alguna de como son…En las dos ultimas visitas al ginecologo se me pregunto si ya tuve contracciones, mi respuesta fue hacer una mueca de no tener idea de como son…despues solo atine a preguntar de como son las benditas contracciones y la respuesta fue…Es una presion en la parte superior del abdomen, ya te vas a dar cuenta…
Ahora hay otro detalle hay dos tipos de contracciones las falsas y las de verdad. las falsas son esas presiones en la parte superior del abdomen, cuando uno siente como se pone de dura la panza, pero estas contracciones no son dolorosas y a veces no te das ni cuenta, buscando en el internet descubri que estas son conocidas como comtracciones de Braxton Hicks, y generalmente se dan porque nuestro utero se contrae y endurece para prepararse para el dia del parto.
Ahora cuales son las verdaderas??? segun dicen por ahi son contracciones que comienzan en la parte de la espalda y que se difuminan en el abdomen y que se asemejan a los dolores que sentimos durante el periodo menstrual, pero con mayor intensidad…La verdad es que aun no se como seran las contracciones de parto, he buscado en el internet pero en todas dice lo mismo…son dolores intensos, continuos , y que se hacen mas fuertes….
Como vamos yo supongo que en las proximas semanas ya podre contarles como son las contracciones de parto..por el momento que Dios y los poderes del mas alla me acompañen en este proceso de traer a Brianna al mundo…
Life in Peru 