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☆ Recession-hit Peru aims to boost investment with stimulus package
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LIMA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Peru's government on Thursday announced a package of more than two dozen new measures aimed at boosting investments in the Andean nation, which has been hit by a recession. Economy Minister Alex Contreras said the measures included moves to attract investments to the country's critical mining sector and boosting mining production. 2 copper producer slid into recession this year due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, lower private investment and lingering effects from earlier social conflicts. With the fresh stimulus, Peru's economy will still be able to hold the country's fiscal deficit to its goal of 2.4% of GDP this year, Contreras said. "We're looking to create a jolt of confidence, for the private sector to understand that the government is committed to reactivating the economy," he said.

Persons: Alex Contreras, Contreras, Marco Aquino, Brendan O'Boyle, Kylie Madry, Alexander Smith, Sandra Maler Organizations: El, Thomson Locations: LIMA

☆ An Epic Pilgrimage Across Three Great Religions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aatish Taseer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +111 min

Before there was tourism, there was pilgrimage: a trip of endurance, hardship and ecstasy in celebration of one’s faith. On an epic pilgrimage of his own, one writer ventures into the heart of three great religions in Bolivia, Mongolia and Iraq. The Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala the day after Ashura. “They’re poor, but they come thousands of kilometers for the love of Imam Hussein.” PILGRIMAGE WAS A great equalizer. “Labaik ya Hussein,” came the solemn chorus of surrounding voices.

Persons: Eduardo Quintela Gonzáles, ” Quintela, JAN, “, ”, Quintela, Victor, Edith Turner, Chaucer, ferne, sondry londes, Vaishno Devi, Lyra Skinner, Lyra, Victoria Preston’s, —, Prophet Muhammad, Virgin Mary, Bath, Naipaul, Augustus, Ryan, garret, Virgin, Monica Machicao, Nicholas Casey, ” Monica, Casey, Evo Morales, sloughing, Columbus, Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Monica, glitzy cholets, Peru —, Viracocha, it’s, Pablo Quisbert, Leandro Chitarroni, Eichmann, Father Chitarroni, Father Chitarroni’s, Conquistadores ”, Fernando Cervantes, Bernabé Cobo, Quisbert, Edgar Quispe, Tatiana Huayhua, Francisco Tito Yupanqui, Mary, Yupanqui’s, su, Yupanqui, Chitarroni, she’s, Friar Abelino Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori’s, Irene, Juana, hajji, Waka, Aracely Alcón, Santiago, Alcón, ‘, don’t, ” Alcón, Tito Yupanqui, Uma Marka, Pachamama, haggard, Amaru Fiorilo Barrios, he’d, ” Fiorilo, Fiorilo, who’d, Valeria Alcón, Laureano Jose Quisbert, Elena Ticona Flores, Eduardo Quintela’s, Ensamble, pang, padre, consolations, Sincrético, El, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, Axel, amauta, strode, La, Aatish Taseer, Saint Helena —, Constantine I, La Paz, Orgilbaatar Tsolmon, Orgil, Genghis Khan, Edward Gibbon, ” Orgil, Araniko’s, Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s, Kubla Khan, Coleridge, Kublai, Stalin, sybarite, Khamar, Dalai Lama, Lama, Christopher Kaplonski, ger, I’d, banshtai tsai, Prim, Egi, Munkhdul, Gandantegchinlen, Haidav, herder, “ Um sain, boltugai, Danzanravjaa, Zanabazar’s, Erdene, Mandakhtsog Monkhbaatar, Monkhbaatar’s, Dalai Lamas, prostrated, He’d, Zuu, she’d, Santiago de, L.K, Advani, Emperor Babur, Ram, kar sevaks, Ayodhya, Narendra Modi, Munkhbaatar Batchuluun, Henry Wallace, Franklin D, Potemkin, Munkhbaatar, Gerelmaa, Giimaa, She’d, Eduardo Quintela, Aracely, Santiago’s, Joseph Brodsky’s, Muhammad’s, Hussein, William Keo, ” Khuder, pillion, Labaik, Hussein ”, O Hussein, hearkened, Prophet, Ali —, Ali, Yazid, Imam, crackling, chickpeas, Imam Ali, Imam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Tusi, Qasim, Imam Hussein’s, Khuder, “ Will, Najaf, prestes, — I, Yasir Yaseen, Ashura, Ali Akbar, Abbas, Ali Asghar, “ We’re, Francisco Goya’s, Hussein’s, Groom, Joseph, ” Wissam, Turfi, Saddam —, Arbaeen, Saddam, “ Imam Hussein, WE, Muhammad, Barnaby Rogerson, Prophet Muhammad ”, ” Ali, Muhammad — Muhammad, formlessness, Muqtada al, Abrams, chiding, Abu Musab Al, Zarqawi, Al Qaeda, William, “ They’re, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, flagellants, ruddy, stylishly, Hussein — shahid —, Farman Ahsan, Syed Salman Raza —, Saddam’s, ” Raza, William “, Ali Zayn al, Abidin, Labaik ya Hussein, thrall —, Lloyd, Susanne Rudolph — Organizations: CITY LA, LA, LA PAZ, Virgin, Crusaders, Dolorosa, Sun, The New York Times, Bolivian, Spain, La, Cordillera, Universidad Mayor de, Catholic, Good, La Paz, Dominican, Pakistan, Caesars, Nissan, Coke, Communists, Communism, ardor, Communist, Hyundai, flails, sacra, Apache, Mahdi Army, Al, ISIS, Karachi —, Princeton Locations: Bolivia, Mongolia, Iraq, Aatish Taseer Bolivia Mongolia Iraq, CITY LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, NAJAF, IRAQ, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, LA PAZ, La Paz, Bolivian, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, New York, Christian, British, sondry, India, Delhi, Varanasi, Europe, American, Mecca, Arabia, Long, Vino Tinto, Chile, Peru, Monica, Plurinational State, Bolivia —, Americas, Spain, Columbian, Aztec Mexico, Inca Peru, Calvary Hill, Virgen del Cerro, South America, Puerto Rico, Huatajata, ”, Argentine, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Mexican, revelry, Spanish, “, morena, La, “ India, multilayered, Potosí, Argentina, Warisata, Scotch, Santiago de Compostela, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Nations, El Alto, Buenos Aires, Bombay, Tibet, Bolivia’s, Yamuna Rivers, United States, Buddhist Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian, Istanbul, Asia, Islam, China, Beijing, Dadu, Erdene Zuu, Soviet, Gobi, Los Angeles, gers, Qing China, Karnataka, Töv Province, Karakorum, Khamar, Erdene, Ukraine, Korea, Golden, Bayankhongor, Lhasa, Dalai, Inner Mongolia, Mongol, Nalaikh, Santiago, Santiago de Compostela and Canterbury, Bulgan Province, Somnath, Gujarat, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, ger, East German, Uvs Province, Pakistani, Indian, Tennessee, Najaf, Baghdad, Khuder, —, abayas, KARBALA, Kufa, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Karbala, Imam Ali, Bab, Kuwaiti, Bohras, South Asia, Tajikistan, Zaydis, Yemen, Alawites, Anatolia, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Sadr, U.S, Jordanian, Al Qaeda, Mesopotamia, Al, Multan, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan’s, Islamabad, Lahore, Kuwait, Karachi, Doha, Qatar

☆ Peru cuts interest rate again as prices ease but recession lingers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A worker walks pasts the logo of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP) inside its headquarters building in Lima, Peru June 16, 2017. The bank's third consecutive cut comes as the rate of rising consumer prices has been coming down. But the latest decision to cut rates does not necessarily imply a cycle of successive rate reductions, the monetary authority said in a statement. It added that future adjustments to the key lending rate "will be conditioned on new information on inflation and its determinants." Earlier on Thursday, Peru's government announced a package of measures aimed at boosting investments in the country's critical mining sector.

Persons: Mariana Bazo, El, Peru's, Alex Contreras, Marco Aquino, David Alire Garcia, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Central Reserve Bank of, REUTERS, Rights, El Nino, Thomson Locations: Central Reserve Bank of Peru, Lima , Peru, Lima

☆ Peru miners say copper output could climb without impact from protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Marco Aquino Acquire Licensing RightsLIMA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The head of Peru's mining guild on Tuesday said that while copper mining investment might be slow to recover next year, the Andean country could still see growth in production of the metal if large-scale mines are not affected by social protests. Victor Gobitz, president of SNMP - the top mining guild for the world's No. 2 copper-producing country - said 2024 output could hit 2.7-2.8 million metric tons, up from 2.6-2.7 million tons forecast for this year and 2.45 million tons hit in 2022. Mining output was slammed by stoppages early this year during nationwide protests against the government of President Dina Boluarte after the ouster and arrest of her predecessor, Pedro Castillo. Peru's copper output has reached 1.77 million tons through the first eight months of this year, according to official data.

Persons: Marco Aquino, Victor Gobitz, Gobitz, Dina Boluarte, Pedro Castillo, Sarah Morland, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, SNMP, BHP, Mitsubishi, El, Thomson Locations: Tapairihua, Peru's Andes, Teck

☆ In Chile, a Palestinian diaspora makes its voice heard on Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Alexander Villegas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

SANTIAGO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Chile's Palestinian community, the largest outside the Middle East, is a strong force in the Andean nation, involved in local politics, culture and soccer. Now it's making Chile one of the loudest regional voices criticizing Israel over its military action in Gaza. In a recent mass, Abed invited members from Chile's Muslim community and the Palestinian ambassador; keffiyehs, hijabs and Palestinian flags were sprinkled throughout the pews. The prominence of the Palestinian community has sparked strong support from other groups in Chile. "The Palestinian community (here) activates whenever there's aggressions."

Persons: SANTIAGO, Israel, Gabriel Boric, Boric, Joe Biden, Claudia Yarur, Yarur, Georges Abed, Abed, Vera Baboun, Rafael Torres, Torres, Felipe Barria, Barria, there's, Alexander Villegas, Claudia Parsons Organizations: White, Palestinian Social Club, Palestino FC, San Jorge Cathedral, U.S, West Bank, FC, Thomson Locations: Chile, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Washington, Santiago, Palestinian, Ottoman Empire, Israel, Chilean, Syrian, San Jorge, Patronato, hijabs, Bethlehem, South America, Argentina, Brazil, Nazi, America, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia

☆ The face of Juanita, the ‘Ice Maiden’ mummy, has been revealed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Reinhard and Zarate spotted a bundle of cloth, and lifting it, they found themselves looking into the Ice Maiden’s face. Studies have revealed that Juanita was a healthy girl between 13 and 15 when she died from a blow to the head. Nilsson used tissue depth markers based on the measurements of her skull to envision the proportions of her face, which included high cheekbones. Tissue depth markers and CT scans helped Oscar Nilsson reconstruct the Ice Maiden's face. For the researchers who have spent years studying Juanita, the arduous process to bring her back to life was worth it.

Persons: ” Juanita, Ampato, Oscar Nilsson, Juanita, ”, Dagmara, bioarchaeologist, Socha, Johan Reinhard, Miguel Zarate, Reinhard, Zarate, Nilsson, ” Nilsson, capacocha, —, Pichu, ” Socha Organizations: CNN, Center, Andean Studies, University of Warsaw, Catholic University of Santa, Sanctuaries, Centro Textiles, Visitors Locations: Ampato, Swedish, Peru, Peruvian, Chile, Catholic University of Santa María, Chinchero, Cusco, Inca, Chachani

☆ Mysterious mouse mummies found in Mars-like conditions on Andean mountain peaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

So how did a species of leaf-eared mouse make this barren land their home? The mice, called Phyllotis vaccarum, are commonly found living in the Andes mountains at lower elevations, all the way down to sea level. In 2020, a living mouse was recorded at the summit of Llullaillaco, a volcano with an elevation of 6,739 meters (about 22,110 feet) on the border of Chile. The discovery of the living mouse spurred Storz to conduct expeditions at 21 different volcanoes. Freeze-dried mouse mummiesWhile the conditions are not ideal for living creatures, they create perfect conditions for preservation, as the mice are essentially freeze dried, Storz said.

Persons: Jay Storz, Jay Storz “, we’ve, ”, Storz, “, “ It’s, it’s, ” Storz, Emmanuel Fabián Ruperto, Ruperto Organizations: CNN, University of Nebraska, Geographic, NASA, Argentine Institute for Dryland Research Locations: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, United States, Atacama, Llullaillaco, Lincoln, Mendoza

☆ Researchers reconstruct the face of a teenage mummy believed to have been sacrificed in an Inca ritual more than 500 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Researchers recreated the face of an Inca girl who was believed to have been sacrificed atop a volcano more than 500 years ago. AdvertisementAdvertisementArcheologists have recreated the possible face of Peru's famous mummy — a teenage girl believed to have been sacrificed in an Inca ritual to the gods more than 500 years ago in the Andes. "I thought I'd never know what her face looked like when she was alive," Reinhard told The Associated Press. Oscar Nilsson, the Swedish archeologist and sculptor, told The AP he spent about 400 hours of work on modeling Juanita's face. AdvertisementAdvertisementAnthropological studies put Juanita's likely age between 13 and 15 years old when she died sometime between 1440 and 1450 AD.

Persons: —, Ampato, Juanita, Johan Reinhard, Miguel Zárate, I'd, Reinhard, Oscar Nilsson, Dagmara, Juanita's Organizations: Service, Associated Press, Sanctuaries, Catholic University of Santa, AP, University of Warsaw's Center, Andean Studies, Johns Hopkins University, BBC, Penn Museum's Expedition Locations: Swedish, Peru, Catholic University of Santa Maria, Arequipa, Polish

[1/3] Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks with Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, October 25, 2023. The upgrade of relations with Colombia means China now has strategic ties with 10 out of the 11 South American countries with which it has relations. Paraguay is the last South American nation that has ties with Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. In 2022, shipments from Colombia to China totalled $7 billion, up almost 20% from five years earlier. Among the 11 South American countries that have diplomatic ties with Beijing, Colombia has the largest trade deficit with China despite increased Chinese imports.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Gustavo Petro, Ken Ishii, Xi, Petro, Ivan Duque, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Ellen Zhang, Bernadette Baum, Robert Birsel, Nick Macfie Organizations: of, People, REUTERS Acquire, Initiative, South American, Tuesday, China Harbour Engineering Company, Bogota Metro, Xian Metro Company, Bombardier Inc, Columbia, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Zijin Mining, Canada's Continental, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Colombia, Latin America Colombia, Xi's, Initiative BEIJING, U.S, America, Guyana, South America, Central America, Caribbean, United States, Taiwan, Paraguay, American, Latin America, Bogota, Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Suriname

☆ Scientists unveil recreation of sacrificed Inca maiden in Peru
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ros Postigo Acquire Licensing RightsAREQUIPA, Peru, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The reconstructed head and torso of a young girl likely sacrificed to appease Incan gods was unveiled in Peru on Tuesday, with three-dimensional scans of her mummy helping produce the lifelike recreation more than 500 years after her death. But some time before then, the girl was sacrificed by a blow to the head, possibly in a ritual ceremony that sought divine relief from natural disasters, according to the scientists. It includes colorful attire, head covering and adornments, similarly based on the scans of the mummy. "Seeing her face like when she was alive, it's a different experience because it seems so real," he said. Reporting by Pocho Torres and Carlos Valdez; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ros Postigo, Ampato, Juanita, It's, Johan Reinhard, Pocho Torres, Carlos Valdez, David Alire Garcia, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Catholic University of Santa, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Catholic University of Santa Maria, Arequipa, Peru, Rights AREQUIPA, Poland, Peru's, South America

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The possible living face of Peru’s most famous mummy, a teenage Inca girl sacrificed in a ritual more than 500 years ago atop the Andes, was unveiled Tuesday. The silicone-made bust portrays a young woman with pronounced cheekbones, black eyes and tanned skin. Political Cartoons View All 1218 Images“Now 28 years later, this has become a reality thanks to Oscar Nilsson’s reconstruction,” he said. According to anthropological studies, Juanita was sacrificed between A.D. 1440 and 1450, when she was between 13 and 15 years old. “These findings have helped us better understand her life and the Inca culture," he said.

Persons: I’d, ”, Johan Reinhard, Juanita ”, ” Reinhard, Oscar Nilsson’s, Nilsson, Dagmara, Juanita, Reinhard Organizations: Sanctuaries, Catholic University of Santa, Associated Press, University of Warsaw’s Center, Andean Studies, Johns Hopkins University Locations: LIMA, Peru, Swedish, Catholic University of Santa Maria, Arequipa, “, U.S, Polish

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Television crews at the Pan American Games had equipment stolen this week from the compound of Estadio Nacional, the site of Friday's opening ceremony, heightening concerns about crime at the tournament hosting over 6,800 athletes. A contractor, and not local police, was in charge of security at the Estadio Nacional compound when the incident took place. The Pan American Games, the largest multisport event in the Americas, are held one year before the Olympics. Police presence at Estadio Nacional was greater Thursday than at the beginning of the week. Organizers of the Pan American Games had previously told The Associated Press they had increased their attention in check points at the gates of every sporting venue.

Persons: Harold Mayne, Nicholls, “, ” Mayne, Gabriel Boric, Chile's goverment, Eva Vergara, ___ Organizations: — Television, Pan American Games, Estadio Nacional, Police, Associated Press Locations: SANTIAGO, Chile, Americas

More cuts are expected in the coming months, though Costa didn't provide any details on future decisions. Costa said the bank has already incorporated high interest rates from the U.S. Fed and other central banks from developed economies in its September report. "But we have to keep looking closely at U.S. rates," Costa said. Costa added the bank has also factored in weaker demand from China, one of Chile's largest copper consumers, but the impact was larger than expected. "The Chinese economy is going to develop with less force than expected, but there are other factors that hold up copper prices," Costa said.

Persons: Central Bank of Chile Rosanna Costa, Susana Vera, Rosanna Costa, Costa, Costa didn't, Jorgelina, Alexander Villegas, Chizu Organizations: Central Bank of, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, U.S . Fed, Thomson Locations: Central Bank of Chile, Marrakech, Morocco, MARRAKECH, SANTIAGO, Chile, U.S, China, Rosario

☆ Ecuador presidential rivals agree tough stance on crime, differ on economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Leftist Luisa Gonzalez, a lawyer and protege of former president Rafael Correa and young businessman Daniel Noboa will compete in a run-off vote on Oct. 15. Gonzalez won the first round with almost 34% of the votes while Noboa took a surprise second place. Both candidates promised in Sunday's debate to get tough on organized crime gangs, to strengthen the security forces and to seek international help to tackle spiraling insecurity. Gonzalez pledged to boost oil production and reiterated plans to inject $2.5 billion of international reserves into the economy. However, he also clarified that a previous proposal to use $1.5 billion of international reserves was for worst-case scenarios only.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Daniel Noboa, Karen Toro, Rafael Correa, Gonzalez, Noboa, Guillermo Lasso, Alexandra Valencia, Oliver Griffin Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, El, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights QUITO

☆ Ecuador Presidential Rivals Agree Tough Stance on Crime, Differ on Economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Gonzalez won the first round with almost 34% of the votes while Noboa took a surprise second place. Outgoing President Guillermo Lasso called early elections in May when he dissolved the legislature to avoid an impeachment process. Both candidates promised in Sunday's debate to get tough on organized crime gangs, to strengthen the security forces and to seek international help to tackle spiraling insecurity. Gonzalez pledged to boost oil production and reiterated plans to inject $2.5 billion of international reserves into the economy. However, he also clarified that a previous proposal to use $1.5 billion of international reserves was for worst-case scenarios only.

Persons: Alexandra Valencia, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Daniel Noboa, Gonzalez, Noboa, Guillermo Lasso, Oliver Griffin Organizations: Alexandra Valencia QUITO, El

☆ Peru seeks mining investment revival with pledge to end 'chaos, disorder'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Trucks remain stuck during a roadblock caused due to a demonstration by anti-government protestors demanding the resignation of Peru's President Dina Boluarte, in Condoroma in Cusco region, Peru February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Peru mining investment expected to drop 18% this yearMiners push to use contractorsGovernment aims to streamline environmental permittingLIMA, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Peru is looking to put the "chaos" of months-long protests earlier this year behind it to revitalize flagging mining investment in the world's no. As a mining conference in the southern Andean region of Arequipa got started this week, Prime Minister Alberto Otarola addressed concerns about political instability and protests that have led to an expected 18% drop in mining investment this year. The last major investment in Peru was Anglo American (AAL.L)'s $5 billion Quellaveco project, which came online last year and has helped buffer production figures. Reuters GraphicsReporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dina Boluarte, Pilar Olivares, Alberto Otarola, Otarola, Raúl Jacob, Pedro Castillo, Boluarte, Mines Oscar Vera, Victor Gobitz, Gobitz, Marco Aquino, Adam Jourdan, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Companies, Miners, Reuters, Mining, Grupo Mexico's, Reuters Graphics, of Energy, Mines, BHP, Mitsubishi, Thomson Locations: Condoroma, Cusco region, Peru, Companies Peru, LIMA, Arequipa, American, Teck

☆ Colombia gov't, largest FARC dissident group to begin peace talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Then Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bogota, Colombia, April 10, 2018. REUTERS/Jaime Saldarriaga/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Colombia's government and the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the largest FARC dissident group, on Tuesday said in a joint statement they would begin peace talks on Oct. 8 and start a 10-month bilateral, national ceasefire on the same day. The EMC was founded by dissident former members of the now-demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, who reject a 2016 peace deal signed by that group. Colombia's government in May suspended a national ceasefire with the EMC in some areas of the Andean country following the murder of four Indigenous teenagers. The government is also in peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels and the two sides have also agreed a bilateral ceasefire.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Jaime Saldarriaga, Gustavo Petro's, Oliver Griffin, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Estado Mayor Central, FARC, EMC, Revolutionary Armed Forces, Segunda Marquetalia, National Liberation Army, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA

Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero sits underneath one of his sculptures during a stroll with Medellin's Mayor Federico Gutierrez (not pictured) in Medellin, Colombia January 27, 2017. REUTERS/Fredy Builes/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Colombian artist Fernando Botero, whose sculptures and paintings of playful, rotund subjects in sometimes harrowing situations made him one of the world's richest artists, has died at 91. "Fernando Botero has died, the painter of our traditions and defects, the painter of our virtues. Although widely known for his large subjects, Botero insisted his pieces were not focused on body type. As an artist, Botero sought to make his work accessible, donating over 200 works to create the Botero Museum in Bogota, which is free and receives half a million visitors a year.

Persons: Fernando Botero, Federico Gutierrez, Fredy, Picasso, Botero, lounging, Abu, Gustavo Petro, Spain's, Manuel Marulanda, Mona Lisa, Fernando Botero Angulo, Dali, Monet, Sophia Vari, Colombia's, Julia Symmes Cobb, Diane Craft, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Medellin's, REUTERS, Rights, Spain's El Mundo, Revolutionary Armed Forces, The New York Times, Museum, Colombia's El Tiempo, Thomson Locations: Medellin, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, Colombian, U.S, Bogota

☆ Peru's central bank cuts benchmark interest rate to 7.5%
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A worker walks pasts the logo of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP) inside its headquarters building in Lima, Peru June 16, 2017. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 14 (Reuters) - Peru's central bank on Thursday cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 7.5% after holding the rate steady for eight straight months, as the monetary authority in the Andean nation sees inflation easing. The central bank first held the rate steady in February following an aggressive series of hikes that began in August 2021. Despite inflation easing, the bank said on Thursday that its decision does not necessarily imply a cycle of successive reductions in the interest rate. Peru's annual inflation rate in August slowed to 5.58%, the lowest since September 2021.

Persons: Mariana Bazo, Carolina Pulice, Brendan O'Boyle Organizations: Central Reserve Bank of, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Central Reserve Bank of Peru, Lima , Peru, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Lincoln

REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Ecopetrol SA FollowBOGOTA, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Colombia's government is considering revising rules to make majority state-run energy company Ecopetrol (ECO.CN) an obligatory partner in every offshore wind project, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. If approved, the revision would make it "mandatory for Ecopetrol to take part in each offshore project," another source told Reuters. Having Ecopetrol partner up with other companies on offshore wind farms would "minimize the risks of new projects" one of the sources said, adding that the size of any given Ecopetrol stake would be "very, very small," without hinting at possible percentages. Ecopetrol's involvement in offshore wind projects would help shore up energy self sufficiency, another of the sources said. Plans to hold the bidding round to assign maritime blocks for offshore wind farms are running behind.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Gustavo Petro, Colombia's, Energy Irene Velez, Andres Camacho, Oliver Griffin, Timothy Gardner Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, The, of Mines, Energy, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, BOGOTA, Colombia's

☆ Colombia Potential Cocaine Output Rose 24% in 2022 - UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Also at a more than 20-year high was potential cocaine output, which rose 24% to 1,738 metric tonnes. Coca is the chief ingredient in cocaine, whose production has fueled the Andean country's six-decade armed conflict, which has killed at least 450,000 people. Petro's government wants to help rural communities voluntarily substitute some 100,000 hectares of coca crops over the next four years, an official told Reuters recently. The government wants to reduce cultivation areas to 150,000 hectares and production capacity to 900 metric tonnes by 2026, Osuna said. Some 13% of Colombia's annual deforestation is linked to illicit crops, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad told a drugs conference last week.

Persons: Candice Welsch, Welsch, Gustavo Petro, Colombia's, Nestor Osuna, Osuna, Susana Muhamad, oversupply, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb, Richard Chang Organizations: United Nations Office, Drugs, Reuters, UN, Food Locations: BOGOTA, Colombia, Putumayo province, Ecuador

☆ Copper giant Codelco raises $2 billion in bond offering
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Fabian Cambero | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Codelco's logo is seen at the entrance of its Ventanas copper smelter in Ventanas, Chile October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSANTIAGO, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Chile's Codelco raised $2 billion in a bond offering in New York on Tuesday, as the world's top copper producer seeks to fund an investment drive to revive flagging output. "This financing seeks to ensure the availability of resources for the development of a demanding portfolio of investments that for this year will need a total of $4.1 billion," Codelco said in a statement. It said the firm would need to lift its investments to about $4 billion from $3.3 billion to boost its "structural projects." Codelco's production slipped last year to about 1.45 million metric tons, the lowest in around a quarter of a century, and output has slipped further this year with the miner expecting to produce between 1.31 million to 1.35 million metric tons of copper.

Persons: Rodrigo Garrido, Codelco, Moody's, Fabian Cambero, Kylie Madry, Steven Grattan, Emelia, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Treasury, BNP, Citi, J.P, Santander, Scotiabank, Thomson Locations: Ventanas, Chile, New York, Morgan

CNN —Water levels at Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world and South America’s largest – are dropping precipitously after an unprecedented winter heat wave. While water levels are known to fluctuate each year, these changes have become more extreme due to the climate crisis. Communities that rely on fishing are struggling as low water levels adds to mounting problems: declining fish stocks due to pollution and overfishing. “It’s going to keep affecting us, there won’t be any more totora, the islands are deteriorating, that’s what worries us,” Charca told CNN. Grinia Avalos, deputy director for climatology with Senamhi, told CNN that these warmer temperatures are expected to continue until at least February 2024.

Persons: ”, Nazario Charca, Anton Petrus, Taylor Ward, Sixto Flores, Raldes, Flores, Claudia Morales, Jullian Huattamarca, Juan Karita, Dina Boluarte, Huattamarca, “, Uros, Sergi Reboredo, Charca, It’s, ” Charca, El, Grinia Avalos, Connor Baker Organizations: CNN, Getty, Reuters, El Nino, Crisis, “ Locations: South America’s, Peru, Bolivia, Puno, AFP, Agriculture, Taquile, Peruvian, Lake Titicaca, South America

☆ Mysterious remains of 3,000-year-old 'Priest of Pacopampa' found buried face down with accessories of human bone
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A peculiar 3,000-year-old priestly tomb was unearthed in Peru's Pacopampa archaeological site. The remains were found face down and with legs crossed alongside an artifact made of human bone. Inside the burial chamber, the 3,000-year-old remains of an elite spiritual leader, dubbed the "Prince of Pacopampa," were found face down with legs crossed. "Burials lying on the face are often found in the Andes," the Pacopampa Archaeological Project leader Yuji Seki told Insider. A researcher from the Pacopampa Archaeological Project excavates the remains of the Prince of Pacopampa.

Persons: Pacopampa, Yuji Seki, Seki, Prince, Yuji Seki Seki Organizations: Service, National Museum of Ethnology, Peru's National University of San, of Culture, Reuters Locations: Wall, Silicon, Peru, England, Japan, Peru's National University of San Marcos, Pacopampa, of Culture of Peru

☆ Peru tears down Lima 'wall of shame' but wealth divide stays strong
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The remains of a 4.5-kilometer wall, separating luxurious estates from a neighboring community living in poverty, are pictured as it is being torn down, in Lima, Peru August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda Acquire Licensing RightsLIMA, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A 4.5-kilometer "wall of shame" separating luxurious estates in Peru's capital Lima from neighboring communities living in poverty is being torn down after some four decades, though divisions remain strong. The group was largely destroyed in the 1990s, but the wall dividing La Molina and the poorer Villa Maria del Triunfo remained and has grown in size. Francisco Dumler, the municipal manager of the La Molina, said residents would comply with the ruling but the demolition could take time due to unforeseen costs. La Molina boasts lush parks and large residences that can cost several millions of dollars.

Persons: Sebastian Castaneda, Gustavo Gutierrez, La Molina, Villa Maria del Triunfo, Francisco Dumler, Molina, Anthony Marina, Carlos Valdez, Marco Aquino, Sarah Morland, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, La, Villa Maria, Thomson Locations: Lima , Peru, Peru's, Lima, La

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