Articles

  • Judicial ruling affirms the right to free, prior and informed consent in a historic decision

    10 April 2017

    On 28 March, the Fourth Constitutional Court in Lima ruled in favour of an appeal brought forward in August 2014 by Indigenous awajún and wampi organizations, in relation to the licencing of oil exploration and exploitation activities in Lote 116.

  • PSG Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review

    3 April 2017

    The PSG has submitted to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) our assessment of some of the most pressing human rights concerns in the country. The UPR is a State-driven process where each Member State has the opportunity to talk about their human rights record.This year, Peru (and many other countries) will be assessed in November.

  • The Business and Human Rights Research Centre publishes the first ranking of human rights performance for 98 companies

    3 April 2017

    The BHRRC has released the first of what promises to be a fascinating and rewarding ranking of major international corporations in terms of their human rights performance. For this first report the organisation has ranked 98 companies covering three sectors: agriculture, apparel and extractives. The results are not impressive, though somewhat encouraging for Peru.

  • Chincero, blessing or curse?

    3 April 2017

    Adorning the lamp posts of central Cuzco are placards thanking President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski for his part in facilitating the go-ahead for the new airport at Chinchero. The problem is that the airport project, the subject of corruption allegations, does not appear anywhere near take-off.

  • Las Bambas: NGO casts doubt on new proposals

    25 March 2017

    A thoughtful and strong report from Cooperacción suggests that the long-running dispute over the Las Bambas Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is far from over. New proposals from the environment minister for a further modification may not be enough to keep dialogue going.

  • Luque reflects on his time as head of ONDS

    25 March 2017

    As he prepares to leave his job as head of Peru’s National Office for Dialogue and Sustainability (ONDS), Rolando Luque told the PSG that some significant changes have been made in the short time since he took over last October. But, he argued, there is still an enormous amount to do in building institutional capabilities at the grass-roots level.

  • Peru flooding causes widespread destruction, mayhem

    19 March 2017

    Landslides and flooding this last week have created new levels of destruction, as numerous rivers broke their banks, spilling out into vulnerable communities, washing away transport infrastructure and interrupting water supplies for millions of people. Probably the worst crisis of its type for 30 years, it has exposed the fragility of the urban fabric and poses the Kuczynski administration with enormous problems.

  • Eduardo Vega airs his views on transparency (or the lack of it)

    19 March 2017

    When public officials retire from positions of authority they give interviews which provide precious clues as to how systems work, or rather do not. In an interview with La República last week, Eduardo Vega gave insights into the deficiencies in the present system of transparency in Peru.

  • Campaign for increased corporate transparency takes a step forward

    19 March 2017

    On 9 March, the international board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) agreed to insist on project-level reporting in all 51 member countries as of next year. EITI also voted to suspend Azerbaijan owing to deficiencies in the degree of civil society involvement.

  • PPK faces barrage of attacks

    11 March 2017

    On 9 March, Congress overwhelmingly supported a vote requiring the presence of Martín Vizcarra, the first vice-president and minister of transport and communications, to respond to a total of 82 questions, next Thursday, 16 March.

  • PSG Aims

    The Peru Support Group exists to promote social inclusion, sustainable development and the observance of human rights in Peru. To that end the PSG highlights shortcomings in observance of established norms, whether international or local in nature, in its research, advocacy and publications. In so doing, it underscores the relationships that exist within the political system, how institutions work, and the effectiveness of policies that aim to reduce poverty and inequality within the context of sustainable development.

  • Historical Overview

    Over the past century Peru has suffered a series of autocratic governments and a civil war in which nearly 70,000 people died. Many of the country's ongoing political and social problems are a legacy of its somewhat turbulent past. 

  • Human Rights

    Human rights violations were widespread during the twenty years after the initiation of armed conflict in 1980. Efforts to convict perpetrators since the war's end have made only limited progress. Today, concerns remain over the treatment of those engaged in social protest, particularly against strategically important investment projects.

  • Why join the PSG?

    • Keep up to date with latest news and developments in Peru
    • Learn about key issues of poverty, development and human rights in Peru
    • Support the work of the Peru Support Group

    Become a member