SOUTHERN CONE WEATHER UPDATE: 100's Dead, Thousands Of Cattle Lost In Polar Cold Wave.

M.PRESS/    The death toll is growing from a  severe polar cold snap in the Southern Cone.
In southern Brasil and Paraguay thousands of cattle died and in Chile an agriculture emergency was declared. In Buenos Aires, dozens of regional flights were cancelled and the number of dead there from hypothermia is now 12 with another 33 dead from carbon monoxide poisoning. Bolivia has reported 18 deaths because of freezing temperatures and in southern Brasil at least 19 homeless people died of hypothermia. But Peru has the worst number of deaths, 104 so far.

LATIN AMERICA: Current Robust Growth Surprizing Many.

NYTIMES/ SIMON ROMERO/     "While the United States and Europe fret over huge deficits and threats to a fragile recovery, this region has a surprise in store. Latin America, beset in the past by debt defaults, currency devaluations and the need for bailouts from rich countries, is experiencing robust economic growth that is the envy of its northern counterparts.
     Strong demand in Asia for commodities like iron ore, tin and gold, combined with policies in several Latin American economies that help control deficits and keep inflation low, are encouraging investment and fueling much of the growth. The World Bank forecasts that the region’s economy will grow 4.5 percent this year."

PERU: Two Years After A 7.9 Earthquake, Little Has Changed In Pisco.

AP/ MIAMI HERALD/
Promises of aid and recover after disasters shows mixed results worldwide.
After a 7.9 quake on Aug. 15, 2007 killed almost 600 and levelled Pisco, thousands of rescuers, aid workers and government officials along with millions of dollars of aid flooded the area.  Plans for thousands of earthquake-resistant homes were conceived including the regional hospital. So far, nothing.
Many of the streets are full of rubble. Thousands live in shacks and thousands more have left. Construction on the hospital hasn't begun. "The state has forgotten us," said a man who lives among huts and tents next to the town's soccer stadium.

Illegal Drug Trade Profits Peru...$700 Million Annually.

LAHT/
Peruvian drug czar Romulo Pizarro says that the illicit drug trade is expanding into more sectors of Peru's economy, as traffickers seek places to launder their profits.

Are Shining Path Terrorists Resurging In Peru?

GLOBAL VOICES ONLINE/ Long report, sometimes in Spanish.
"In Peru, there has been talk about the resurgence of the terrorist movement “Shining Path,” because of various news reports of attacks on police stations and military bases, as well as reports of young people being trained by the movement. Even though there has been no reliable proof that the attacks were caused by the Shining Path, which had been especially active during the 1980s, and instead linked to drug traffickers or general social unrest, the national and international press have suggested that this group has indeed returned."

Overview Of Latin American Economic Rebound.

McCLATCHY/
"A year after the global financial crisis exploded, most Latin American countries are putting the tough times in the rearview mirror during the final three months of 2009. Brazil, the region's giant and the world's ninth largest economy, is leading the way, along with such other market-friendly countries as Peru, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay and Panama."

Peru Battling Growing Cocaine Trade.

WSJOURNAL/
Growing coca and manufacturing cocaine from it has been increasing in Peru, while its neighbor Colombia has been cracking down. Peru's cocaine exports may have overtaken Colombia's, even as Colombia remains the world's leader in cocaine production.

Travelling The Proposed Interoceanic Highway: From Peru' Jungles To Brasil's Ports.

NPR with many fotos/
The Interoceanic Highway now under construction will link Sao Paulo to Peru...4601 kilometers... from Brasil's Atlantic coast to Peru's Pacific ports.
NPR reporter Lourdes Garcia-Navarro returns again to the Latin American beat in this FOUR-PART series describing this monumental undertaking.
She reports that the new road will bring goods and work to Peru's remote Andean communities but that it also worries conservationists over the impact on Peru's Amazon rainforest.

Peru's Proposed Massive Inambari Dam Under Scrutiny.

GLOBAL VOICE ONLINE/
Reportedly, it will be the largest electric power station in Peru and the fifth biggest in South America.
Many residents are against the project. Even the future Inter-oceanic highway will be affected by the power station. “According to the description of the reservoir for the hydroelectric dam, 106.1 kilometers of highway will be submerged beneath water.”

Peruvian Lynch Mob Burns And Kills The Wrong Man.

LAHT.
A mob lynched and burned the 27-year-old son of a prosecutor in Juliaca, Peru after mistaking him for a criminal.

Latin American Leaders Push For More Time To Rule.

GLOBAL POST.COM.
Across Latin America, presidents are pressuring lawmakers to change their constitutions to allow for multiple presidential terms — a trend that began in the 1990s. Here's a brief history of the most recent cases.

In Lima, A Valuable Racehorse Is Stolen, Killed For Meat.

LAHT.

A horse, valued at $100,000 USD and used for stud, was stolen in Lima, killed and sold for meat at a market.

Peruvian Drug Trafficing Grows.

From the LAHT.

Cocaine exports total $22 billion USD...about 17% of GDP... bigger than any legitimate sector of Peru's economy.

Global Warming May Have Aided Inca Empire Growth.

From The LA Times.

Peru's Garcia's Popularity Wanes.

From COHA.

Peru's President Alan Garcia is facing his biggest political crisis since taking office in 2006...with social unrest and indigenous protests.

Peru Cancels Largest Parade Because Of Swine Flu Fears.

From Bloomberg.

Peru's Amazon Problem...Protesting Indigenous Groups.

Peru's indigenous groups are digging in after more than thirty deaths from protests against opening the Amazon for oil exploration and logging.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/world/americas/12peru.html?scp=6&sq=Peru%20&st=cse


A more recent summary with map :
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13824454