|
|
Delegation Reports
PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TO PERU -
12 to 17 February 2006
Report by Bob Blizzard MP
Delegation
Bob Blizzard MP
Leader of the Delegation
Labour
Christine Russell MP
Labour
Rt Hon the Lord Morris of Manchester AO QSO
Labour
Mark Pritchard MP
Conservative
David Wilshire MP
Conservative
Baroness Thomas of Walliswood OBE DL
Liberal Democrat
An expert briefing from Britain’s Ambassador, His Excellency Richard
Ralph, set the scene for our visit, taking place just as the campaign
for April’s presidential and congressional elections was hotting
up.
Our embassy in Peru has to be on its toes as 70,000 Britons a year visit
this country. Cuzco and Machu Picchu are the reason why.
Peru has exceptional tourism prospects, and the real trick will be to
handle the business in a way that is sensitive to the ancient ruins and
dramatic scenery and which allows poor people to benefit.
Many already flock to Cuzco from rural surroundings in search of the tourist
dollar, and this influx presents a challenge for the Mayor of Cuzco who
operates a tidy and well organised municipality.
A meeting there with presidential hopeful, Lourdes Flores, showed why
she leads in the polls and is the favourite among pundits. However, nothing
is certain for this centre right candidate, as apparently 50 per cent
of Peruvians usually make up their minds in the final month and 25 per
cent in the last two weeks!
Notwithstanding the lively rally which greeted her arrival at the airport
(on the same plane as us), she faces a strong challenge from the populist,
Ollanta Humala who has the backing of Venezuala’s Hugo Chavez; and
former president, Alan Garcia of the centre left APRA, Peru’s only
organised political party as we understand the term.
Both Lourdes and Garcia’s top man in the Senate told us they would
sign up to a free trade agreement with the USA, in contrast to Humala.
A full salute with swords welcomed us to the Congress in Lima where we
agreed the next steps to an even stronger friendship between our parliaments
and countries. The demonstration outside, beyond a distant perimeter fence,
about our country’s involvement in the Iraq war seemed ill-aimed
to one who had voted against it anyway.
The Ministry of Education presented an account of its achievements, but
we left Peru feeling that on education the government had under achieved
and a major challenge faced the next president. It was good to discover
an official at the Ministry was organising a media quizzing of all 20
presidential candidates! Sadly, he observed that the most likely winners
had the least to say!
As Peru is South America’s second or third largest supplier of cocaine,
most of which is exported to Brazil and Europe, our visit to the National
Commission for Development of Life Against Drugs was very pertinent. After
the defeat of the Maoist terrorists, Sendero Luminoso, which brought a
noticeable drop in cocaine production, it is worrying that the drug is
on the rise again. It looks set to remain a problem in South American
countries where poor peasants can earn more from growing coca than alternative
crops, even when they are offered by international anti drug programmes.
With simple crop eradication politically problematic to all parties, key
interventions in drug trafficking may be the best practical measure, and
they remain crucial. We were therefore astonished to learn of our government’s
withdrawal from Peru of its two Drugs Liaison Officers, who have been
so successful, at a time when it looks as though coca growing will increase
in the region. We would urge a rethink.
A working breakfast with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission revealed
the cost in human life and emotional tragedy of Sendero Luminoso’s
brutal terrorism and former President Fujimori’s military response
and subsequent authoritarian and corrupt regime. Unfortunately, the Commission’s
recommendations have not yet been taken up by political and military authorities.
We were all impressed with Prime Minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski’s
pragmatic and intelligent contribution to President Toledo’s government,
which has brought a period of political stability and strong economic
growth. However, PPK (as he is known) readily admitted that increased
national income had not had an impact on poverty reduction and this will
be the main challenge for the next president. We were pleased with his
support for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and we
left feeling that PPK’s governmental career was not yet over.
Our meeting with the British business community at the fine Orient House
owned hotel in Miraflores sadly showed once again what relatively modest
interest British companies take in Latin America.
Our visit to an HIV clinic in one of Lima’s public hospitals, and
to a church-run home for children born with the virus, showed the health
challenge that the country faces. It was encouraging to learn that the
Global Fund’s programme on HIV and TB in Peru is the most successful
in South America.
Despite the closure of DfID’s office in Lima, we learned that they
are still very active, working strategically with both the World Bank
and the IDB in Peru and elsewhere in Latin America to influence and enlighten
their spending so that the poor benefit more than they have in the past.
And it is heartening to know that a UK charity, the Vine Trust, is taking
health care to 100,000 Peruvians by means of a boat on the Amazon, soon
to be joined by a second vessel which is on its way out after a £1m
refit.
It was also encouraging to learn from Transparencia, a key NGO established
with DfID’s help, that they are confident that April’s elections
would be free, fair and well ordered. This is a measure of how far Peru
has come. Transparencia is now trying to increase the information available
to voters so that choices are based more on policies, not just personalities
and emotions.
Whatever the outcome of these elections, it will be important to continue
to build strong relations with Peru, the third largest country in South
America. It’s a country of great potential.
|
|
