NEWS

  • Ombudsman calls for rights protection for foreigners living in Peru

    07 April 2015

    In March, the Peruvian human rights ombudsman (Defensoría del Pueblo) released its latest report, ‘Treatment of Foreign Persons in Peru’ amid growing media reports of arbitrary discrimination against them by officials of the National Migration Superintendent’s Office (SNM). Legal proceedings against the SNM by individuals allege serious human rights violations, xenophobia and other discriminatory practices.

  • Renewed protests in Espinar

    30 March 2015

    Dozens of campesinos from the province of Espinar in Cuzco came out on to the streets on 27 March in protest. They were demanding that the government stop dragging its heels in implementing the agreements achieved in a round table negotiation especially with regard to remedying the situation faced by people, including youngsters, with unacceptably high presence of heavy metals in their body.

  • Newmont under fire, again

    22 March 2015

    An American judge has taken the unusual step of ordering Newmont, the giant US mining company, to supply photographs, videos and other information on communications between the company and the police in Cajamarca. Newmont is the majority shareholder in Yanacocha the gold mining company in Cajamarca that had sought to open up the massive new Conga gold project in the province of Celendín in Cajamarca.

  • Castaneda irks the art community, and others

    22 March 2015

    Lima’s new mayor, Luis Castañeda Lossio, keen to reverse projects associated with his predecessor Susana Villarán, has run into fierce criticism in the last two weeks, especially among the artistic community.

  • New forestry law at last enacted

    22 March 2015

    On March 16, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Juan Manuel Benites was joined in a ceremony by seven organisations representing 52 indigenous or native peoples, to enact a new forestry law, replacing the law of 2000.

  • Party leader meeting gives go-ahead to political reform

    15 March 2015

    On March 4, the Peruvian government and representatives from 15 political parties initialed an agreement to bring reforms to aspects of the country’s party and electoral systems.

  • Pichinaki awaits dialogue meeting

    15 March 2015

    March 24 has been set as the date for a meeting between government officials, local representatives and those from social movements to discuss the way forward at Pichinaki.

  • Achuar Communities Reach Settlement with Oxy

    15 March 2015

    On Thursday March 6 representatives from five Achuar communities in the upper Corrientes river basin in Peru’s Amazon region and from the US-based NGO Earth Rights International announced an out-of-court settlement with the Occidental Petroleum Corporation over claims of damage to the environment and peoples’ health.

  • Urresti, one step nearer

    02 March 2015

    Daniel Urresti appears to be one step nearer to his aim of becoming a presidential candidate. On February 26 he announced that he had formalised his membership of President Humala’s Nationalist Party (PNP). A week earlier, having been removed from his post as interior minister, he had made clear his intention to launch his incursion into the world of electoral politics.

  • Pichanaki killings force Pluspetrol to withdraw from central jungle exploration site

    14 February 2015

    The death on February 11 of a student at the hands of the riot police and the wounding of 32 other people by live ammunition in the township of Pichanaki have forced the government to give marching orders to Pluspetrol, the Argentine-owned company involved in exploration for oil and gas in the central jungle.

  • 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

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