FOREIGN
RELATIONS
Peru generally enjoys friendly relations with its neighbors. In November 1999, Peru and Chile signed three agreements that put to rest the remaining obstacles holding up implementation of the 1929 Border Treaty. (The 1929 Border Treaty officially ended the 1879 War of the Pacific.) In late 2005, a declaration of maritime borders by Peru's Congress set off a new round of recriminations with Chile, which claims that the maritime borders were agreed to in fishing pacts dating from the early 1950s. In contrast, the Garcia administration has recently made overtures to Chile, aimed at improving that relationship.
In October 1998, Peru and Ecuador signed a peace accord to resolve once and for all border differences that had sparked violent confrontations. Peru and Ecuador are now jointly coordinating an internationally sponsored border integration project. The U.S. Government, as one of four guarantor states, was actively involved in facilitating the 1998 peace accord between Peru and Ecuador and remains committed to its implementation. The United States has pledged $40 million to the Peru-Ecuador border integration project and another $4 million to support Peruvian and Ecuadorian demining efforts along their common border.
In 1998, Peru became a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, facilitating closer ties and economic relations between Peru and Asian nations. Peru will host the APEC Summit in 2008.
Peru has been a member of the United Nations since 1949, and is a member of the Security Council. Peruvian Javier Perez de Cuellar served as UN Secretary General from 1981 to 1991.
Peru maintains 210 troops in peacekeeping operations in Haiti under the UN's MINUSTAH.
U.S.-PERUVIAN
RELATIONS
The United States enjoys strong and cooperative relations with
Peru. Relations were strained following the tainted re-election
of former President Fujimori in June 2000, but improved with the
installation of an interim government in November 2000 and the
inauguration of the government of Alejandro Toledo in July 2001.
The United States continues to promote the strengthening of democratic
institutions and human rights safeguards in Peru and the integration
of Peru into the world economy.
The United States and Peru cooperate on efforts to interdict the flow of narcotics, particularly cocaine, to the United States. Bilateral programs are now in effect to reduce the flow of drugs through Peru's port systems and to perform ground interdiction in tandem with successful law enforcement operations. These U.S. Government-supported law enforcement efforts are complemented by an aggressive effort to establish an alternative development program for coca farmers in key coca growing areas to voluntarily reduce and eliminate coca cultivation. This effort is funded by the Department of State's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
U.S. investment and tourism in Peru have grown substantially in recent years. The U.S. is Peru's number one trade partner, and economic and commercial ties will deepen if the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) is passed by the U.S. Congress.
About 200,000 U.S. citizens
visit Peru annually for business, tourism , and study. About 16,000
Americans reside in Peru, and more than 400 U.S. companies are
represented in the country.
U.S.
Assistance
U.S. bilateral assistance to Peru, including food aid and disaster
relief and rehabilitation, totaled nearly $1.4 billion during
the 1990-2001 period. The USAID program in Peru is its second
largest in Latin America. Since 1962, USAID has provided approximately
$2.7 billion to Peru in grants and loans, including $264 million
in grants over the last two years. USAID’s programs are
designed to expand the sustainable opportunities for employment,
higher incomes and improved quality of life for all Peruvians
.
U.S. assistance to Peru is
focused on six strategic objectives: Strengthening democratic
processes and institutions; increasing economic opportunities
for the poor in selected economic corridors; improving health
for Peruvians at high risk; strengthening environmental management
to address priority problems; supporting sustained reduction of
illicit drug crops in target areas; and expanding opportunities
for girls’ basic education in targeted rural areas. Improving
the quality of life of Peruvians along the Peru-Ecuador border
area is an additional objective of U.S. Government development
assistance.
Democracy.
U.S. assistance seeks to strengthen democratic institutions; promote
more effective regional and local governments; promote and protect
human rights; foster citizen participation; promote the rule of
law to protect rights of the people; fight corruption and adjudicate
commercial disputes; and strengthen women's participation in decisionmaking
processes. USAID is supporting the efforts of the Government of
Peru and Peruvian civil society—at the local, regional and
national levels—to achieve a system of governance that is
more participative, transparent, and effective. Through USAID,
the United States provided more than $24 million in 2002, and
is providing more than $10 million in 2003 to support these goals.
USAID provided approximately 80% of donor funding to date for
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, allowing the Commission
to collect more than 7,000 testimonies related to the political
violence occurring over the last two decades.
Poverty
Reduction and Economic Growth. USAID aims to improve
the policy environment for private sector-led growth; expand access
to markets; improve production; improve access to and distribution
of food resources; and improve access to public utilities in poverty
areas. U.S. food assistance programs reach about 1.8 million poor
Peruvians annually in rural highlands and jungle areas, where
the majority of the extreme poverty is found. From 1997-2002,
USAID provided more than $200 million in food aid. Since 1995,
USAID-assisted enterprises and producers have increased sales
by approximately $150 million and created more than 38,000 full-time
equivalent jobs. USAID microfinance initiatives have provided
loans valuing more than $50 million to approximately 100,000 low-income
clients. To improve the trade and investment climate, USAID programs
are designed to improve fiscal management, government procurement,
commercial law and property (including intellectual) rights, sanitary/phytosanitary
systems, and customs in order to work better with the World Trade
Organization. USAID is increasing productivity and market access
of private enterprises through Economic Service Centers located
throughout the country.
Health.
U.S. assistance is improving child survival and maternal health
services--such as immunization, diarrhea control, and prenatal
care--and strengthening and expanding the participation of public
and private sector entities in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria
prevention. USAID programs are designed to increase productivity
of the work force as well as reduce the potential for social conflict.
In family planning, activities with the non-governmental organization
(NGOs) sector include efforts to strengthen the capacity of NGOs
to supply voluntary family planning methods in urban and rural
areas; increase the sustainability of the supply of contraceptives;
and disseminate information on family planning methods and services.
USAID's support to the Ministry of Health has made substantial
improvements in this area. The infant mortality rate fell from
57 per 1,000 births in 1991 to 33 in 2000 while immunization campaigns
for children younger than one year of age reached 97.5% coverage.
The child mortality rate (children under 5 years old) declined
from 91 to 47 per thousand live births.
Environment
and Natural Resources Management. USAID's strategy focuses
on improving the legal, policy, regulatory, and normative environment
and natural resource framework; promoting pollution prevention
in selected pre-urban and industrial settings; raising environmental
awareness; and protecting natural resources, including sustainable
forest management, biological diversity, and fragile ecosystems.
USAID has provided important assistance to the Peruvian Government
to improve the legal, regulatory, and policy framework that established
clearer rules on environmentally sustainable natural resource
use. Among the improved frameworks were the National Environmental
Council's Structural Framework for Environmental Management, the
Ministry of Industry's Environmental Regulation, the Framework
Law for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, and the Pollution
Prevention Oriented Environmental Framework Legislation for the
Fisheries and related industries.
Alternative
development. USAID seeks to reduce coca leaf cultivation
through alternative development and environmental protection programs,
as well as to reduce drug use and addition through prevention,
awareness, and rehabilitation programs. It also seeks to increase
the commitment of farmers and communities to reduce illicit coca
production voluntarily. USAID, together with Peruvian and U.S.
law enforcement actions, has contributed to a 70% reduction of
hectares (Ha) devoted to coca cultivation (from 115,300 Ha in
1995 to 31,150 Ha in 2003). From 2002 to 2003 alone there was
a 15% reduction in coca cultivation. As a result, over the same
period the capacity of Peru to produce cocaine hydrochloride,
or HCl, declined from 525 tons to 145 tons. As of 2000, the total
gross agricultural production value of the alternative crops in
targeted areas outweighed the total gross production value of
coca leaf by 39%. As a result of this and other social infrastructure
projects (e.g., schools, health clinics, potable water systems,
and farm-to-market roads and bridges), the living conditions of
over 80,000 families in 1,600 communities were improved. In Peru’s
coca-growing areas, USAID’s Alternative Development Program
has provided assistance to about 18,000 families to grow licit
crops on more than 32,000 hectares; given credit to 4,800 clients;
completed 1,800 community infrastructure projects; and rehabilitated
and maintained more than 1,400 kilometers of roads.
Education.
This strategic objective is aimed at assisting the Government
of Peru and civil society organizations to improve and decentralize
primary education, especially for girls. As a result, USAID has
contributed to the establishment of a National Network for Girls'
Education in Peru, with the participation of government sectoral
ministries, NGOs, universities, the business community, and donors.
This national network has been very active in increasing consciousness
about the importance of girls' education in Peru. In addition,
Peru has been chosen as the South America site of the Centers
of Excellence in Teacher Training (CETT) that grew out of the
2001 Summit of the Americas in Quebec. USAID is financing the
CETT, whose purpose is to improve the practices of classroom teachers
so that they become more effective reading instructors in the
early primary grades.
Regional
Programs. USAID is promoting the economic and social
development of Peru-Ecuador border region, in order to provide
tangible benefits from the October 1998 Peace Accords signed by
the two countries. USAID’s assistance to the Peru-Ecuador
Bi-National Plan has contributed to improved social and economic
conditions for 2,500 families in border areas in Piura and Condorcanqui.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--P. Michael McKinley
Deputy Chief of Mission--James D. Nealon
Director, USAID Mission--Paul Weisenfeld
Counselor for Political Affairs--Alexis Ludwig
Counselor for Economic Affairs--Adam Shub
Counselor for Narcotics Affairs (NAS)--Susan Keogh
Counselor for Public Affairs--Sam Wunder
Counselor for Management Affairs--Robert Davis
Counselor for Consular Affairs--Charisse M. Phillips
Commercial Counselor--John Simmons
The U.S. Embassy in Peru is located at Avenida Encalada, Cuadra 17 s/n, Monterrico (Surco), Lima 33 (tel. (511) 434-3000; fax. (511) 434-3037. Home page: http://lima.usembassy.gov/
