Weekly Post 7: Corruption

PERU ― Many protests break due to a legislative law and quite frankly our protests do not change any decisions in the office. However, it does let the people express their voice and that is what a democracy is all about. In the United States, many presidents do not pardon people until almost the near of their term since they will be outgoing and will not deal with political parts and people who will want to go against their decision. In Peru, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, current president made an awfully crazy move.

On health grounds, Alberto Fujimori was pardoned from his prison term on December 24, 2017. It was a Christmas pardon since the seventy-nine year old suffered from numerous health conditions. He was arrested, tried, and convicted on charges related to corruption on his  country who was President for at the time, Peru. In 2009, he was finally sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the killings and kidnappings of many of his own citizens since he ordered his elite death squad Grupo Colina to kidnap and kill the Shining Path. The Shining Path was the uprise going against the government since it had turned its paths.

Kuczynski had just been saved from impeachment a week prior to pardoning Fujimori due to allegations that he accepted bribes when he served as the country’s finance minister and later its prime minister (Gillespie, 2017). Thousands of Peruvian citizens had  protested over the pardon and believe their president, Kuczynski, should step down from his position in office since he has betrayed his people. However, the people felt that they were, “[slapped] in the face.”

In contrast, the United States had not gone through a big scandal like Peru, President Ford did grant pardon to former President Nixon for “a regret mistake.” The citizens did not erupt, but however question what was going on between the two. Was there a certain deal being thrown around? The people did not react as big as Peru did when Fujimori was pardoned which may be because corruption did not occur in the United States.

 

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/21/americas/peru-impeachment-vote/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/29/peruvians-protest-against-pardon-for-jailed-ex-president-alberto-fujimori

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=4696

 

Jenn Soto

Weekly Post 6

PERU ― Many do not think an unsung hero would be someone who is a hero. An unsung hero is someone who is unrecognized but does so much. In recent 1990’s to 2000’s, Mr. Alberto Fujimori was the game changer during his term, however to the public he was the man who turned his back on his country.

In the United States, many do not hear about their president turning their backs on them; however, sometimes it is not necessarily them turning their backs, but doing what is best for their country. Which is what happened to ex-president Alberto Fujimori when he was trying to when trying to put his country back together while Alan Garcia, former peruvian president, was hurting it. Under Garcia’s presidency, the media never showed the people waiting in long lines to to get a pound of rice, sometimes there was not enough for everyone. On the other hand, when Alberto Fujimori stepped up in the presidency, that part of the peruvians lives was in for a change. Fujimori made sure all of his people had food;however, the Shining Path had started to go against the government,but the people had taken it the wrong way and raped women also recruiting kids to kill the indians in the villages. The Shining Path developed when the government  transitioned from a military government.

Fujimori knew action needed to be taken and formed an elite to kill the Shining Path because they were trying to gather the minority and some police were involved with them so nobody really ever knew. According to online sources, “official government death squad had kidnapped the ten victims, tortured and murdered them, and then hurriedly buried, exhumed, burned, and reburied the bodies.” Many believe he did this on purpose, but the students of La Cantuta University were out of hand, and Fujimori took the actions necessary of defending his minority.

In the United States, we do not see actions like these of our president defending the minorities. Many crimes have been occurring for example, shootings in schools;however, our president Donald Trump proceeds to take no action. The citizens of the United States simply protest and that is as far as actions occur, but many say that our protests do nothing but waste time. A president is supposed to try and keep everyone on the same levels, but unfortunately we have the upper class, middle class, and the minority. The minority is typically just kicked around and usually screwed over in choices. Fujimori is the reason the minority is still standing in Peru, and Trump is the reason money is flowing, not any changes though.

Source:

http://web.mit.edu/hemisphere/pubs/abducted.shtml

#RucComp102

Jenn Soto

Week 5

PERU ― Freedom is a privilege not everyone got to have before in the 1900’s. Especially in a world with democracy, some countries do not have the opportunity to live in a democracy. However, every country has their leader. The people of  a country chose who will lead them for the best, although some countries like North Korea aren’t given that chance. Freedom is what every United States Citizen is granted, which gives them the chance to do whatever they desire as long as they are not breaking the law.

However, in Peru, they have freedom.. on paper. According to Latino USA, “Peru is a young democracy which has only properly held elections since 2001. Its constitution sets out significant rights for its citizens including the “freedom of information, opinion, expression” and the right to their ‘own voice and image.’” Which signifies how they are just recently accustoming to a democracy in their country by just voting who their president is in the early 2000’s, while the United States of America has been at it since the late 1700’s. Having their voices heard is what makes Peru great since that is their strongest aspect while in the United States everyone tries to bring the other down with their political speeches. For example, the recent election in 2016 in PPK vs. Keiko Fujimori, the people expressed their concerns with Fujimori since her father Alberto Fujimori almost caused the death of Peru with his lack of respect for the country. However, in the United States with recent election of Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton, many did not want to vote for her due to her husband Bill Clinton’s mistakes on NAFTA. It shows how both countries out their voices due to previous problems without giving new chances to different people. “While citizens have rights, the country’s weak state institutions mean that it can fail to uphold or implement them,” (Latino USA). However, with a strong leader, the country will not always succeed.

 

Jenn Soto

 

http://latinousa.org/2018/02/12/peru-excludes-indigenous-voices-quest-develop-amazon/

Week 4: El nino

PERU ― When the world cries for help, many do not throw in a helping hand; however, they turn their cheek the opposite way. The people look for the man above us for grace and hope that everything will turn out to be okay. Children out crying looking for help, adults unsure of what to do because they do not know what is going to happen. Natural disasters do not occur often but when they do the United States is quick to respond, but third world countries happen to suffer for a long time.

El Nino was a tragic global climate weather change that occurs in random times and in 2017, Peru was hit with El Nino hard and the world for Peru seemed it was to close ending. The floods came from the hard rain that developed from the warm waters in the pacific ocean. The last time Peru was hit terribly was in 1998. The issue with having the storm is that it kills the fishing industry and that is part of business in the country. The cold waters gives fish nutrients that make the fish riches. However, in 1998 we lost about four hundred people, but in 2017 we did not lose as many, yet, it still took many lives from us. The help was not seeked quick in Peru, as another countries only send their love and thoughts. “The extent of damage El Niño’s climate pattern can do was last seen in 1998, when nearly 400 people were killed during a period of massive rains and flooding” (Llamoca, 2017). All the people did for these four hundred people was sending their love to their “pisanos”, which is neighbors, friends, loved ones.

Compared to the United States, El nino affects the west coast more often. “Many folks probably remember the heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides that occurred in California in 1982/83 and again in 1997/98. As the region suffers through a devastating drought, it could be something of a relief if we knew for certain that El Niño would bring similar soaking rains (Halpert, 2014). In the United States, everyone comes together and sends help to those in needs unlike other countries. The help that is binded together shows how strong the country is and how they all come together to form a one. As a richer country, we have more resources and more places to pull from in a time of need unlikes other countries who have to survive in their dirt.

 

Jenn Soto

 

http://latinousa.org/2017/03/23/what-is-happening-in-peru/

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/united-states-el-niño-impacts-0

https://theconversation.com/what-north-america-can-expect-from-el-nino-51959

Week 3: Comparison of History to Now

PERU ― Opportunities come and go for athletes and sometimes opportunities fly right out of your hands that happened to the United States National Soccer Team. Unfortunately, many U.S fans were ready to rally in Russia 2018 to support our men in the big games in the FIFA World Cup. However, while the United States came up short, Peru’s National Soccer Team came up with enough wins to actually qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

1982 was the very last year the world has seen Peru’s National Soccer Team in the World Cup. For twenty-eight years, fans have not seen Peru advance from the qualifying round which have been almost thirty years of no hope for the country. Years of not entering or withdrawing, or even qualifying because the team was known to break out in a fight at anytime. They have also been robbed of their wins especially in La Paz, Bolivia. In 1969, Chechelev who was the assigned referee to the Peru  vs. Bolivia qualifiers match had been paid by the Argentinians to assure the win of Bolivia. A local news source confirmed Chechelev’s confession of the bribe, “Chale aplicó un cabezazo a Chechelev y este cerró los ojos, al abrirlos, vio a Ramón Mifflin y lo expulsó, creyendo que había sido él quien lo agredió. Al final, ratificó su decisión y Bolivia ganó el partido. Luego de muchos años, Chechelev confesó que los argentinos le habían pagado,” (Scandals of Referees, 2012). In translation, Roberto Chale, a peruvian soccer player, buttheaded the ref, Chechelev, due to not validating a goal against Bolivia, and Chale closed his eyes, then opened them to see Ramon Mifflin, a peruvian soccer player, and immediately expelled him for attacking him. In the finale, Bolivia won the match and years later Chechelv confessed that Argentina had paid him to rig the game. Which justifys Peru’s difficult comeback in 2017, and finally qualified in the last spot to go to Russa this 2018!

However, The United States has been in the World Cup since 1986, that was the very last time they did not make an appearance in the World Cup. The unpredictable happened to the U.S as they lost their match by an embarrassing own goal. Hope was still in the air as they only needed Honduras or Panama to lose in their games for them to advance. Shockingly, Honduras AND Panama WON leaving the United States Men National Team in North America while everyone travels to Russia this 2018.

Everything seems to tie together because the underdogs did what nobody thought was coming and are going to Russia while the predictable Americans were staying home this world cup and not representing their country. With different backgrounds many may never know who will go to the world cup. Peru caused a potential earthquake in celebration of joy as their team  advances, while the U.S sits in their sorrow.

 

Jenn Soto

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2017/11/15/peru-beats-new-zealand-and-is-last-to-qualify-for-world-cup/107733594/

http://archivo.elcomercio.pe/deporte-total/futbol-peruano/escandalos-arbitrales-que-marcaron-futuro-equipos-peruanos-noticia-1384455

http://www.businessinsider.com/united-states-misses-world-cup-2017-10

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/11/16/soccer-fans-in-peru-celebrate-crucial-goal-trigger-earthquake-alert-app.html

Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA)

PERU ― Things began to tighten as traveling through United States Customs became difficult for many citizens as they made their return to United States Borders.Even investors were struggling to make their profits with Peru. In 2009, the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement went under effect to eliminate tariffs and provide legal framework for investors. The United States supports trade relations with Peru since they have a strong relationship.

Peru’s number one trading partner is the United States even though Peru is the thirty-fifth country the United States trades with for goods. The Peru Trade Promotion Agreement  allows peruvian goods to enter the U.S. free of merchandise processing fees. The people of Peru benefit from this action because it was to generate more  employment opportunities  since they could trade with the United States exporting their goods of sugar cane ethanol,  gold, fruit,and mineral fuels etc. Employees were potentially looking at an increase on their income, hoping it would bring many out of poverty.

Realistically, the United States were having their benefits from the trade agreement because they were mostly strengthening their investments and having access to more goods and services. President George W. Bush was in office to sign this agreement and was hoping this agreement could potentially fight against drug trafficking and promote security and democracy.

However, not everything has happy endings when a congress passes something new. Unfortunately, Peru’s president Alejandro Toledo suffered many criticisms because many viewed the agreement as worsening their problems instead of improving. The idea of worsening child labor and their labor rights were going down a hole according to the congress of Peru. Everything got worse when the government had failed to consult many communities about the legal framework on the natural resources.Since congress had began to failed to keep their words on a repeal that affected the peoples rights, protests had risen soon after April 16th, 2009 shortly after Alfredo Ferrero, Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism signed his part of the deal with United States of America.

 

#RucComp102

 

Sources:

https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c3330.html

Click to access R40716.pdf

https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/peru-tpa

 

Jenn Soto