Press Secretariat

16March 29, 2011

www.presidencia.gob.pe www.twitter.com/prensapalacio

Alan Garcia:

Peru is solid and big

Peru is solid and big. It walks the path of development, growth and expansion of services to all Peruvians

for years, said President Alan Garcia Perez.

“Nothing will bring poverty or unemployment back nor we will stop acquiring technology and investment,” said the head of state.

“We must have confidence, both poor and rich, in the soundness of our society and economy. Distrust only brings the possibility of disorder and chaos; and after having worked for a long time, I am sure that all Peruvians of goodwill know that,” he said.

Confidence in Peru The president said that the country is going through a beautiful moment as it grows economically and socially as well as moves away from poverty and underdevelopment.

The Peruvian leader pointed out that thanks to the responsible management of the economy, Peru achieved a 9 percent growth last year; and he is sure that the economy will continue to expand in 2011 and 2012.

“Fortunately, the prices of our export products increase and allow us to collect more taxes in 2012 and therefore promote projects and attract more private investment from around the world and the country,” he said.

Private and public investment

works do not stop

Peru to become largest energy

supplier in South America

Peruvian President Alan Garcia recently attended two important events that ensure growth and investment

in Peru and give the country the ability to dominate the international market with its untapped energy potential.

On March 22, the president laid the foundation stone for Lima’s Cheves hydroelectric power station, and two days later, he witnessed the signing of a contract for the construction of the Termochilca thermal power plant at the Government Palace.

The president noted that our country can be the major supplier of clean energy in South America.

“The path of Peru towards its great development is guaranteed thanks to these investments, the laborious effort of its people and the will to keep on walking paths with goals and justice.”

He stressed that the El Platanal and Machu Picchu plants are currently operating, while the Machu Picchu II, Santa Teresa and Chaglla stations are under construction.

Investment in the Cheves hydroelectric plant amounts to US$67.3 million while investment in

Termochilca totals US$125 million.

Improved quality of life for 3 million

Peruvians The benefits of electricity are reflected in quality of life, literacy, population with

access to potable water, industrial development potential and increased life expectancy.

“Without electricity there would be no microwave, no refrigerator, no fan, no internet, we could not recharge the phones or watch TV, we would live in darkness all night, and there would be no factories or companies.”

This is how 10,056 towns used to live until the government of President Alan Garcia Perez provided them with electricity services over the past five years. Nearly three million Peruvians now have electric and thermal energy for better living conditions.

NEW LIFE STORIES

Juan Huaman Chambi (49) and Leca Victor Ramos (53) are two fathers living in the outskirts of Lima. Juan lives in San Juan de Lurigancho’s Santa Maria human settlement and Victor in Callao’s Pachacutec citadel.

Juan’s children are young; they rented a car battery to power a small black and white television and lit candles to study. Several neighbors lost their belongings in a fire caused by lit candles left unattended.

Now, they can study in safety and Juan’s family is planning on saving up to buy a sewing machine and start its own business.

Victor has five children and says living without light was a huge sacrifice. His family spent 90 soles every month to rent electricity to watch TV but sometimes they could not afford it. They bought a refrigerator which broke down because the power supply was unstable.

With electricity, they plan to buy sound equipments for rent and gradually improve their quality of life.

COMPLETED PROJECTS

The government’s goal of providing electricity to more than 10,000 towns was commemorated at a ceremony at

the Government Palace

Drinking water for more than 40,000 people in Callao and Ñaña

President Alan Garcia recently inaugurated two improved and expanded water supply and sewerage systems in

Callao region and Ñaña Scheme and annexes, east of Lima.

In Callao, the Sarita Colonia scheme required an investment of 11.9 million soles for the benefit of more than 19,000 inhabitants of Sarita Colonia, Juan Pablo II, Acapulco, Tiwinza, Bolognesi, Daniel Alcides Carrión and Villa Mercedes squatter settlements.

While in Ñaña, about 20,000 residents gained access to sanitation services, which required an investment of 43 million soles.

Announcing the completion of both projects, the president said that the challenge in the next five years is to continue the path of progress and development and undertake works until the wealth reaches all households in the country.

* Over 5 million Peruvians have household drinking water connections.

* 113 water and sanitation projects were executed only in Lima and Callao.

* More than one million people in Lima and Callao have gained access to drinking water since July 2006.

Huaral-Acos highway construction making good progress

Before

Now

The construction of the 56-km Huaral-Acos highway, part of the

Chancay-Huaral-Acos-Huayllay, is making good progress, as witnessed by President Alan Garcia during a recent visit on March 22. The photographs above show the progress of construction between January and March.

With an investment of 67.3 million dollars, the project includes the construction of granular base course, ditches, culverts, fords and others.

The president, who was accompanied by Transport Minister Enrique Cornejo, noted that the highway will link Huaral and its provinces with the country’s major markets.

During the opening ceremony of the new Municipal Palace and Video Surveillance Control Center of the San Juan de Lurigancho district in eastern Lima, Peruvian President Alan Garcia said he will soon send a bill to Congress in order to turn this district into a special province within the Lima region, with its own autonomy.

“This district has to be a province. We have provinces with 100,000 people, San Juan de Lurigancho has over a million. It must decentralize its resources and continue to develop, it has to be a special province,” he said.

The new Municipal Palace facilities, located in Zarate, were constructed on 515 square meters with an investment of 6 million soles.

“San Juan de Lurigancho has to be a province”

President Garcia will send bill to Congress

Callao Cultural Center opened its doors

Young people in Callao now have a cultural center, which

according to Peruvian President Alan Garcia, is “a center of creative freedom research identified with the democracy values”.

The “Alejandro Miro Quesada Garland” youth cultural center has areas dedicated to reading, an auditorium and rooms for various art exhibitions and a space called Callao Hall, where old documents and photographs that show the chronological history of Peru’s main port city will be displayed.

The 3,000-square-meter center has been implemented in the facilities of the former building of the Prefecture of Callao, located at block one of Manco Capac Avenue.

Its physical restoration has required an investment of 400,000 soles, which added to the purchase of various instruments reaches half million soles.

We recognize the greatness of our cuisine

We recognize the greatness of our cuisinePeruvians now have an innovative site dedicated to our diverse, ancient

and world-renowned cuisine, which was recently honored by the Organization of American States (OAS) as Cultural Heritage of the

Americas.

The Gastronomy House is a museum that will offer visitors more than 500 years of history, from our ancestral wisdom enjoying the fruits of nature to the merger of flavors with other cultures.

This culinary museum has 13 exhibition rooms. The roughly one hour-long tour shows visitors why the Peruvian cuisine is becoming increasingly popular across the globe.

With its inauguration, Peruvian President Alan Garcia fulfills a promise made to the country in July 2010.

Peru, Colombia, Chile and Mexico take

“irreversible step” towards integration

Peruvian President Alan Garcia’s visit to Colombia on

March 23 aimed to confirm the excellent relations between both countries, and announce that soon, along with Chile and Mexico, they will take an “irreversible step” towards integration in order to articulate investment and allow the free flow of capital, people and services.

After holding a bilateral meeting in Bogota, Peru’s Alan Garcia and Colombia’s Juan Manuel Santos announced their commitment to promoting a “deep” integration between the four nations, for which Colombia needs to achieve the ratification of its FTA with the United States and integrate the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum.

“Colombia will be linked to Peru, Chile and Mexico, countries that

have FTAs with the U.S. and are members of APEC, then, the integration will be invaluable to the progress and development of our countries,” the Peruvian leader said.

During his visit, Garcia also proposed his Colombian counterpart to exchange “men and weapons” in the fight against drug trafficking, adding that “it would be absurd to suggest a deep integration and say that police-type sovereignties prevent us to work actively and directly against drug trafficking.”

In turn, Santos noted that what President Garcia “seeded” regarding the relationship with Colombia, no president can undo it because it is a process which benefits both nations and has a projection into the future.

During his state visit to Colombia, President Garcia also attended a solemn session of the Congress. In addition, he laid a wreath

at the Simon Bolivar monument.