Journal Peru

Peru’s prime minister Jorge del Castillo is currently addressing the Parliament in regard to his ill-fated appointment of Alberto Pandolfi, ex-minister under the Alberto Fujimori regime, as executive director for the National ‘El Niño’ Prevention Program. Del Castillo acknowledged that the designation was “a political mistake”.

“I humbly admit this was a mistake (…) I didn’t know the criteria that disqualified this person from taking the job”, he declared during his speech before the plenary session of Congress.

“I have come here with the truth and I tell you from my heart that I wasn’t acting in bad faith”, he remarked. Del Castillo said he was sorry that Pandolfi had not warned him that the state apparatus had issued a 10-year ban against him a few years ago which disqualified him from assuming any public position.

The head of the ministerial cabinet sharply denied any accusations that the Executive is infested with corruption and follows the footpaths of the Fujimori regime, saying that the Apra party has fought against “all forms of corruption at all times, decade after decade”, as well as defending democracy on the streets.

“Today many people display the Fujimori regime as a democracy, but when it was a dictatorship they shut their mouths, no matter the language”, he emphasized. Del Castillo expressed that some members of the opposition were once “collaborators of the fujimorismo” and now they are using the democracy to “come clean” and insult the Apra party that has always “defended democracy in the first trenches”.

“I have neither a political relation with corruption nor with undemocratic groups”, he clarified. “I am a little irritated. They were hiding for years, they never said anything, they never raised their voice in defending democracy. Where were they during the Fujimori regime?” he asked.

Later, Fujimorista legislator Rolando Souza criticized some people, including the prime minister, tie the Fujimori regime with corruption and added that his political group deserves more respect because it represents an important part of the electorate. He said that “Fujimorismo is different from Montesinismo”, and remembered that a judicial resolution that condemns Pandolfi doesn’t exist.

Vladimiro Montesinos was the long-time, powerful head of Peru’s intelligence service (SIN) under President Alberto Fujimori. In 2000, secret videos were televised revealing him bribing a politician and the ensuing scandal caused Montesinos to flee the country, later contributing to the resignation of the administration of Alberto Fujimori. Subsequent investigations revealed Montesinos was at the centre of a vast web of illegal activities, including embezzlement, graft, and drug trafficking. He is currently serving multiple prison terms on corruption, bribery, abuse of power and embezzlemet charges at the top-security naval prison in the port of Callao.

The debate in Congress is still ongoing.

Article by Wolfy Becker

52 percent of Peruvian employers revealed to have difficulties finding professionals fitting their business necessities, which demonstrates a shortage of talent in Peru, according to Manpower Peru, a company specialized in the selection and evaluation of personnel.

This it is the result of the study “How to face the Talent Crisis” which is based on a survey made conducted in January among 37.000 employers from 27 countries, including 713 from Peru.

The greatest demand in Peru is apparently for sales reps. There is also a shortage among craftsmen such as carpenters, welders and plumbers; production operators and technicians; maintenance; engineers; accountants; machinists; and also for managers and executives.

Globally, 14 percent of the questioned enterprises said they have problems in obtaining new talent, whereas in Latin America, Costa Rica (93 %) and Mexico (82 %) demonstrated to have the greatest problems in finding new personnel.

Manpower Peru general manager Felipe Aguirre asserted that the government must lead the transformation of Peru’s education system, adapting it to economic requirements and necessities and where the country has a competitive advantage in a global context.

Aguirre added more investments in education and advanced professional training centers are needed to increase and intensify overall knowledge levels, including the learning of foreign languages, especially English since this is globally the commercial language par excellence.

The government must also maintain continuity in promoting training on new technologies which will rise the technical skill level.

“Peruvian education is not up-to-date and has to face a new reality. The State must have an integral vision and lead the educational transformation. Without this leadership economic growth at the current level cannot be maintained in the long-term”, he warned.

Aguirre also told Peruvian companies they will have to adopt new training strategies and skill development to face the competition.

Peru’s talent shortage puts many companies growth opportunities in danger and is therefore reason enough that actions must be taken immediately.

A solution to this problem will require strategic vision for human resource planning, qualification, development and retention of workers and employees, he concluded.

Wolfy Becker

Peru’s ex-Miss World, Maju Mantilla, can keep the tiara that was put on her head in 2004 because this year the organizers of the beauty pageant have ordered a new crown that was created in the United States.

Of all the beautiful women who wore the old “Miss Peru World” tiara, Mantilla was selected as its keeper for life. “We have decided that the tiara remains with Maju because she deserved it”, said Jesus Ochoa, president of the organization “Reinas del Peru”.

María Julia “Maju” Mantilla García was born in 1984 in Trujillo, a city in Peru’s northern coast. On December 4, 2004, in the Beauty Crown Theatre located in the Chinese beach city of Sanya, she was crowned Miss World 2004 by the reigning champion, 2003’s Miss Ireland Rosanna Davison, daughter of singer Chris de Burgh.

During her reign, Mantilla performed a variety of duties focused on fundraising for charitable organizations. She has travelled to Indonesia, Russia, Peru, United States, Russia, Czech Republic, China and many other countries during her reign. She also resided in London, England during her year as Miss World.

Her aunt Maria Julia Mantilla Mayer was Miss Peru 1969. Maju won the right to represent Peru in the Miss World contest as runner-up to Liesel Holler (Miss Peru Universe 2004) and was one of the major favorites in the run-up to the pageant, which was decided by a global television/telephone/online vote.

It was also announced that the beauty contest will be held outside of Lima until 2010. “This year the Miss Peru will be crowned in the city of Trujillo. This city has given us great representatives for Peruvian beauty, several ex-queens were born in this northern area of Peru. For that reason we want to give something back. In 2008, we will head south to the cities of Tacna and Cuzco, while the final will be hosted by Arequipa”, Ochoa revealed.

The Grand Finale of “Miss Peru World 2007″ will be celebrated in the city of Trujillo on Friday, May 25, in the Mansiche Stadium. Panamericana Televisión will broadcast the event live.

This year’s candidates will be prepared by another ex-Miss Peru, Marina Mora, who assured she has just met the new contestants for the first time.

“We’ve just had an initial chat with the girls last Monday. We will give them classes on how to walk the stage and how to put on make-up”, said Mora, adding that she doesn’t dare to offer a first judgment.

Article by Wolfy Becker

Members of Peru’s public prosecutor’s office detected “terrible conditions regarding hygiene and security” in some of the restaurants in the Chinese district in downtown Lima, after conducting a surprise inspection.

District attorney Lina Loayza Alfaro, who headed the operation on Calle Capón, informed that among those restaurants – which are called “chifa” in Peru – were Chin Wo, Salón China, Capón, Fun Yen and Zhen Wei. Infractions included using rusted cookware, clogged kitchen drains, open trash cans, and dirty restrooms, among other irregularities.

The representatives of the Public Ministry also found the obstructed fire escapes, incomplete first-aid kits, and expired health licences.

The cited restaurants have 7 days to correct the deficiencies or they will face fines and possible closures. Nevertheless, authorities said that the majority or Chifa restaurants in Chinatown passed the inspection.

A traditional arch welcomes you to Lima’s Barrio Chino at the corner of Jirón Ucayali and Jirón Andahuaylas. The 700 block of Jirón Ucayali, right next to Lima’s Mercado Central, or Central Market, is known as Calle Capón.

Chinese food is readily available for purchase in el Barrio Chino. People come from all parts of the city to shop there.

This is a very busy and crowded part of the city, so please exercise caution, and be careful with your belongings. Whatever you do, it is recommended not to go past the Plaza Italia or Jirón Huanta. The area is historic but also dangerous for outsiders.

Also to biologists and chemistry-phamacists participated, who raised respective sanitary acts in each one of the taken part premises.

Article by Wolfy Becker

Peru’s Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo said on Tuesday evening that answering questions from members of Congress – a process called interpellation – is ‘no problem’ for him. Del Castillo has been widely criticized for making the mistake of appointing ex-fujimorista minister Alberto Pandolfi as head of Peru’s National El Niño Prevention Program.

Pandolfi, who twice served as Peru’s Prime Minister between 1996 and 1999 under former President Alberto Fujimori’s administration, was barred from holding public office for a period of 10 years by the Congress in 2003.

An interpellation refers to the formal right of a parliament to submit formal questions to the government. In many parliaments, each individual member of parliament has the right to submit questions. The respective minister or secretary – or in this case the prime minister – is then required to respond and to justify government policy or acts. Interpellation thus allows the parliament to supervise the government’s activity. In this sense, it is closer to a motion of censure.

Opposition forces in Peru’s Congress had filed a motion on Tuesday for this kind of censure and presented forty specific questions about the case (see the questionnaire here (in Spanish)).

Del Castillo expressed his intenton to fully respond to all questions, without exception, and he would even elaborate on “a lot more of what isn’t even being asked”.

“I don’t have problem to appear and answer questions before Congress because I am not going to confront nor fight with anybody. I am going there to reaffirm our policy of growth”, he declared to the press.

Del Castillo also thanked the Unidad Nacional alliance and its leader, Lourdes Flores, who decided not to support the motion. Instead Flores applauded his intention of appearing voluntarily before the parliament.

“I cannot help but acknowledge this mature gesture and political rationality which, without a doubt, demonstrates that political control can be exerted without affecting the governability principle, as some are trying to do”, he said.

President Alan Garcia publicly reiterated his endorsement and support for the Prime Minister. “For the second time I am expressing my endorsement for the prime minister with whom I am going to continue working together”, he said.

Article by Wolfy Becker