Politics

For decades Peru fought a fierce war on all illegal drugs no matter how beneficial some substances might be in certain cases. But an incident at the beginning of this year lead to a rethinking of this position in some Peruvian politicians at least regarding the usage of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

For weeks classes were suspended in Peru due to a controversial teacher’s strike. After long and intense negotiations teachers are back at work, students returned to school and the contentious education reform is back on track. Everything good? Nowhere near.

Yesterday, Thursday September 7, Peruvian Congress gave President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski the permission to officially travel to the US and Vatican City from September 15 to 23, 2017.

For over 2 years the former presidential couple Ollanta Humala and his wife Nadine Heredia have been investigated for money laundering, bribery and corruption. On Thursday evening Judge Richard Concepcion, head of the First Preparatory Investigation Court, ordered 18 months pre-trial detention for the ex-president and his wife.

  Alfredo Thorne, Peru’s Minister of Economy and Finance and close confidant of President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, resigned yesterday after losing a vote of no confidence in the opposition controlled congress.

After months of declining approval ratings managing the emergency response efforts in regard to the extreme rains, floods and landslides that hit the country for weeks have paid off for the Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and his ministers.

On Monday, March 6, 2017 the Supreme Decree 006-2017-RE was published in the official Peruvian gazette El Peruano which allows some Indian citizens to travel visa free to Peru for touristic and recreational as well as business related purposes.

For years Peru, one of the leading coca growers and among the top cocaine producers in the world, waged a fierce war on all drugs and illegal substances. It is all the more surprising that now there seems to be a rethinking, at least concerning cannabis.

For months the Brazilian company Odebrecht involved in a huge corruption scandal spanning throughout Latin America makes the daily headlines in Peru. But who is Odebrecht? What’s going on? And how does this affect Peru?

Renowned Latin America business magazine América Economía acknowledges in its annual ranking the Peruvian Minister of Economy and Finance, Alfredo Thorne, as the best minister of Latin America in his area.