Un holandés en el Perú

Surviving the system

2011-09-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

It has been quite some time since I’ve last posted something here. This period I have been very busy to establish a business. And man, that is not easy. If you try to do it the right way ... First attempt was with a friend. She already had an EIRL (one person company) and preferred to change that to a SAC (shareholder company). Several lawyers all said the same: will take 3-4 weeks and will cost 1,000 soles, not much more than starting a new SAC. Well. It took nine months! And cost 2,000 soles. Everybody involved did everything wrong; lawyer, notary and public registry. And there is only one who pays; in time, as nothing goes the next day, but within 2-3 weeks. At a certain point, you think it´s not going to happen anymore. A quote also doesn´t mean anything, without blushing the notary explained that ca. 500 soles means 1,000 soles. It said ca., didn´t it?

I also wanted my own company, dealing with information related to Lima, in which I organize architectural walks as well (http://www.limawalks.blogspot.com/). You do learn. This took me two weeks. No lawyer! Just a notary and a standard model for a SAC. And cost 700 soles. Only after that you get to do a whole bunch of tramites. You have to buy books. Books for your sales, the things you buy, for the daily happenings and for the official documents. These books don´t have page numbers. A notary has to number them for you. But you have to prove to the notary that you are the owner of the company, everybody can of course ask to have numbers put in your books! So you have to go to the public registry to get a statement that you are the owner. The public registry has persons standing in front of a wall, called coordinadores (or something). You have to ask them and they point you to the right booth. The first one told me I should first go back to the notary and ask specifically what is was I needed, although the form they hand you stated my desired type of document. Well, better to go outside a moment and curse a bit. Then back in and get another person, who does point you to the right booth. You need an accountant to do your monthly paperwork. That doesn´t have to be too expensive: 50 soles a month.

Then of course you need to protect your business from copiers. So Indecopi is the place to be. Here you can search if your brand is registered or free. And you can have it be registered. That costs around 800 soles for a registration in one category; 500 for Indecopi itself and 300 for a publication in El Peruano, the official newspaper. It takes 180 days.

In a way it is satisfactory if you manage to get it all done. I´m Dutch and in Holland the system is very focused on advising you. I had a business there as well, which took 30 minutes and 30 Euros in the local chamber of commerce. Here in Peru the system isn´t devised to make it any easier for you, as there are so many steps, some quite unforeseen, and everywhere you pay: for lawyers, for notaries, for translators, for seals in governmental offices; an enormous financial burden on a company. No wonder 70% of the Peruvian companies is ‘informal’.

Lima, the revival of a cosmopolitan centre

2010-09-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Lima is at the brink of another revival in its existence, which according to archaeologists goes back thousands of years. Driven by the fastest growing economy in the continent, a booming gastronomic scene and exciting entrepreneurial and cultural activities, the city seems to be rising from the ashes of some decades of neglect and poverty.

New five star hotels are moving in. The Westin Libertador Hotel, the highest building of Lima, is almost ready. Inkaterra is rumoured to start its first hotel in the Peruvian capital. Intercontinental is supposed to get a brand new hotel in Larcomar. And in the historic centre of Lima, Spanish Arte Express is adapting two of its acquisitions to become a boutique hotel. The museum scene is getting ready for an exciting time with the recently reopened MALI, Museo Larco that was officially reopened last night and a new Museo Metropolitano that will open in October. It feels like Lima is taking its place among the cities that count in the continent.

And, different from all the other cities in the Americas, (metropolitan) Lima can say it has been here for perhaps 4,000 years. It has had its ups and downs. Much more than any other city, the ups have been very up, being the second most important place in the Inca empire and the capital of the whole of Spanish South America, and the downs really down with El Niño, earthquakes and terrorism.
Four hours north of Lima lays Caral, the oldest city of the Americas and dating from the same time as the pyramids of Egypt. Around 4,000 years ago the big so called temples in U were built in this region. Huacoy in Carabayllo, Garagay in San Martin de Porres and La Florida in Rimac are examples of these huge constructions with central plazas of around 125,000 square meters. The people who built these temples must have had an advanced social structure, but disappeared.

Next came around 200 BC the Lima Culture. They built the huaca Pucllana in Miraflores, Huallamarca in San Isidro, the first temples of Maranga in San Miguel. And not only that, they were also responsible for digging the canals to irrigate the valley and turn it into agricultural land. One of these canals, rio Surco, still exists. And until the 1960-ies and 70-ies the area around Lima still was agricultural.
The Lima culture was contemporary to the Moche in the north and Nazca in the south and disappeared around 600 AD. Apparently due to a mega El Niño phenomenon. The area was conquered by the Andean Huari, who buried their dead in temples of the Lima culture, as Huari mummies were discovered in the huaca Pucllana.

A third epoch started with the Ichma. Unlike the Lima culture, who used little adobe bricks, they constructed their temples and administrative centres with huge adobe blocks: Mateo Salado near the Plaza de la Bandera, Mangomarca and Campoy in San Juan de Lurigancho, the more than 50 temples in Maranga in San Miguel, Cajamarquilla in Lurigancho and of course Pachacamac a bit to the south of Lima. Pachacamac was home to an important god that protected the population against earthquakes.
When the Incas conquered these lands around 1470 AD Pachacamac became the second most important place in the empire and the most important oracle. Historian Maria Rostworowski argues that Lima’s patron saint El Señor de los Milagros is none else than Pachacamac in disguise.

When the Spanish arrived another deciding period in Lima’s history started. Out of Lima the colonial rulers administered their South American possessions. Palaces, churches and official buildings lined the streets of a new baroque Lima. In the green lands around the city the huacas where silent reminders of the past, where the haciendas of the Spanish masters became the new agricultural centres. Here the Indian population worked, together with slaves from Africa.
Escaped slaves formed their own settlements or ‘palenques’ in Carabayllo, Chosica and San Juan de Lurigancho. But they lived as well in the popular districts of Barrios Altos and Rimac, giving birth to the creole culture, the typical dishes and music of Lima. Surviving major earthquakes in the 17th and 18th century, Lima slowly lost position as parts of the colonial empire started to be administered from other centres as Buenos Aires and Santa Fe de Bogota and in the end broke away from colonial rule.

Unwillingly, Peru was forced into Independence. Lima became a city in decline. When you read Flora Tristan’s description of the city in the 1830-ies she could be talking about parts of downtown Lima today. The discovery of the use of guano from the islands near Paracas as natural fertilizer gave a new impulse to Lima, but the war with Chile put a quick stop to that.
Only in the 1920-ies, after a hundred years of independence, Lima experienced a new boom, when the opening of the Panama Canal made trade with Europe and the US much easier. Plaza San Martin was built as was a new financial centre. The Second World War was also good for the Peruvian economy and for Lima, which said goodbye to its romantic neo-colonial architecture and began building contemporary architecture, wanting to play a role in the world.

But that was too soon. First the legacy of colonialism had to be removed. The semi slavery on the haciendas was finally abolished, leading to an enormous influx of immigrants, even more when terrorism rose in the 1980-ies. Lima was not able to handle this and the historical centre collapsed, the middle and upper classes took refuge behind walls and gates in safe suburbs and the immigrants flooded the city. Now Lima is a metropolis with 9 million inhabitants. Still struggling with the consequences of the past, but moving to a very interesting future. The history, the food and the culture certainly make Lima one of the most exciting places to be in at the moment.

Discovering the district of Rimac

2010-08-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had a walk in the district of Rimac, one of the more challenging parts of Lima, because of the decay, poverty and alleged unsafety. In order not to tempt fate the walk went from the Puente de Piedra through Jr. Trujillo with the smallest church of Lima, San José del Puente, then Jr. Chiclayo and through the alameda de los Descalzos to the convent of the Descalzos. After visiting the museum by taxi to huaca La Florida and by return taxi to the Plaza de Acho, to walk back to the Plaza de Armas via the Puente Ricardo Palma.

Surprising Franciscan convent
The Convent of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles commonly known as Descalzos is a surprise. A very quiet and well preserved convent, with a great collection of colonial paintings from the schools of Lima, Cuzco and Quito. It was used as a Franciscan monastery until 1979 and then turned into a museum for religious art. The present building dates from the middle of the 18th century, but the origin of the place goes back to 1595, when this was the first enclosed monastery in Peru. The informal name is the Convento de los Descalzos (barefoot). The Franciscan monks wore very simple sandals which led to the name. The convent has seven cloisters. One of the cloisters was in the 1980-ies decorated in the popular style of Ayachuco, which gives it a very pleasant appearance. The chapel dates from 1733 and has an impressive entrance, alabaster windows and an altar inlaid with mother of pearl.

Oldest temple in Lima completey neglected
With an age of 4,000 years the huaca La Florida is the oldest pre-Hispanic structure in the metropolitan area of Lima and as well the largest with a plaza 140,000 square meters. It is a so called U-shaped temple. Other U-shaped temples are Huacoy in Carabayllo and Garagay in San Martin de Porres. Those two are in a better shape than La Florida, although the plaza of Huacoy was last year divided in parcels to be sold of for urbanization. La Florida is completely surrounded by buildings and the plaza has been converted in the fields of Sporting Club Cristal. A wall protects the club from the main structure of the huaca. The guards of the club told it was unsafe to explore the huaca, as there was a ‘ lost city’ on top with drug addicts. There was nothing on top, everything was completely deserted. It is a neglected place. Pity.

Bullfighting in Lima
Originally the bull fights were held in the main square with temporary seating arragements. A special building, the Plaza de Toros de Acho, was constructed in 1766, during the reign of Viceroy Amat. It has the form of a 15-sided polygon with an arena with a diameter of 80 metres. In 1944 the diameter was reduced to 55 metres and the number of seats doubled. The season for bullfighting is from the end of October, the celebration of El Senor de los Milagros, to the end of November. There is a museum dedicated to bullfighting and mainly made up out of donations of the family Graña, important producers of cattle and the bulls. Fernando Graña Elizalde (1911-1982) not only raised the bulls for fighting on his hacienda Huando in Huaral, but also paso horses and fighting cocks. Together with Alejandro Graña Garland and José Antonio Roca Rey he took the concession of the bull fights in the Plaza de Acho for 20 years and they remodelled the building in 1944. The funny Arab inspired mirador de Ingunza, the only remains of the house of Francisco Esteban de Ingunza Basualdo (1808-1886) from 1858, makes an interesting combination.

New insights in Inca architecture the last 20 years

2010-03-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

Lima March 31 2010 Tonight explorer and former director of the Royal Geographical Society John Hemming gave a talk in the Teatro Britanico on the occasion of the second edition of his book Monuments of the Incas. In the last 20 years there have been many new insights regarding architecture in the most important American empire. Hemming spoke about the areas masonry, functions and new discoveries.

Royal estates researched

It is now clear that the Incas built their stone walls only with man power. They flattened the surfaces of the stones with harder pounding stones. Regarding functions it has been discovered that the Incas replicated miniature Cusco´s all over the empire as provincial capitals. Examples are Vilcashuaman and Cuenca in Ecuador. Much research the last 20 years has been done as well in the royal estates around Cusco. Viracocha was the first emperor to built himself such an estate in Uscubamba near Yucay. These royal estates were private property and were not inherited by the new emperor, who had to build a new one, but by the rest of his brothers, forming the panaca or lineage of the deceased emperor.
Viracochas successor Pachacutec, the Napoleon or Alexander the Great of the Americas, built several such estates; Machu Picchu, Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Tupac Yupanqui built his in Chinchero, now the fundaments of the church, and is probably responsable for Choquequirao as well. The last emperor before the arrival of the Spanish, Huayna Capac, built his estate near Urubamba.

Changes in architecture
By researching these estates the changes in Inca architecture became clear as well. Previously it was thought that the 95 years of their empire were too little to allow for much development. But the palace of Huayna Capac was a big compound with buildings, lakes etc. on a flat terrain surrounded by a wall with high gates. Like the Forbidden City in Peking. Not like Machu Picchu at all. Built from smaller stones and clay. Reasons why there is not much left of it. But an enormous change in architecture from the previous constructions.

The Island of the Sun and the Copacabana peninsula are more researched as well and it has been discovered that the Island of the Sun was an important pilgrimage site. Not only had the sun been born there, but the god Viracocha and the first Inca couple as well. More is known as well about the importance of mountains, rocks and water for the choice of Inca monuments.

Your own imagination
Hemming ended his talk by applauding the way the INC is reconstructing monuments, although he remarked on the extensive use of concrete and the disappearance of the romantic atmosphere and he said ´anyway, you can never reconstruct the colours, the gorgeous fabrics and especially the people; the emperor with his servants, the priests and the holy women. For this you can only use your own imagination.´

Los Choquehuanca, un linaje imperial vivo

2010-02-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

Versión inedita

Al llegar a la ciudad de Lampa sólo tenía pensado fotografiar por fuera la histórica casona de los Choquehuanca. No contaba con enterarme que ahí todavía viven los descendientes de esta familia y, menos aún, que llegaría a conocer a doña Eugenia Chukiwanka, de 90 años: la única hija que sobrevive al líder indigenista de Puno, Francisco Chukiwanka, y descendiente directa del Inca Huayna Cápac.

Doña Eugenia, una mujer de pequeña estatura, muy vital y mirada traviesa, nunca se casó y vive rodeada de fotos y memorias. “Mi padre luchaba por los derechos de los indios y hasta cambió la manera cómo se escribe nuestro apellido”, me dijo.
Al hablar con ella sólo puedo percibir como algo muy lejano el eco de las grandes fiestas que los Choquehuanca daban en su hacienda principal, Picotani, cerca de Azángaro, donde a decir de doña Eugenia, se bebían los mejores licores traídos de Francia.

LINAJE DE HUAYNA CÁPAC

Los descendientes del linaje imperial Choquehuanca, Chuquihuanca o Chukiwanka, viven en el sur del Perú, en los departamentos de Arequipa y Puno. Antiguos caciques de Azángaro, ellos descienden de Cristóbal Paullu Topa Inca, hijo de Huayna Cápac, quien además fue el miembro de la familia imperial más fiel a los españoles durante la conquista.

Desde la colonia y durante más de 300 años, los Choquehuanca fueron los caciques de Azángaro y la familia más rica en esta provincia. Con la Independencia pierden ese título y después, durante la República, la familia llega a perder todas sus propiedades.

El historiador Nils Jacobsen escribe en su libro, ´Mirages of Transition, The Peruvian Altiplano 1780-1930´, que con la pérdida del cacicazgo terminó también la autoridad política de la familia y dio inicio a una pelea para mantener sus riquezas.

Un aspecto interesante en la evolución de esta familia de rancio abolengo indígena, es su transformación política. De ser unos caciques extremadamente fieles a la corona española, pasaron a convertirse, uno de ellos, en prócer de la Independencia (José Domingo) y otro, Francisco (sobrino tataranieto del anterior y padre de doña Eugenia), en líder indígena.

Un tercer Choquehuanca, José Domingo Choquehuanca Borda, cuya filiación con los caciques todavía no es del todo clara, también se convirtió en un personaje conocido como fundador de la AUPA, la Asociación de Urbanizaciones Populares de Arequipa (Pueblos Jóvenes) en los años 70.

Curiosamente, lo que une a las historias de estos tres líderes sociales, además del apellido, es que todos provienen de familias informales. Los primeros dos eran hijos ilegítimos y el padre del tercero murió cuando su hijo tenía cuatro años.

LOS REYES DE AZÁNGARO

El historiador Augusto Ramos Zambrano dice que “los caciques Choquehuanca eran una especie de pequeños reyes en Azángaro. Durante siglos tuvieron un poder significativo en esta provincia, de generación a generación”.

Esto viene del hecho que alrededor de 1533, Cristóbal Paullu Topa Inca, hijo de Huayna Capac, llegó hasta el Collasuyo, en la zona del lago Titicaca, tratando de alejarse de las luchas entre sus hermanos Huáscar y Atahualpa.

En 1586, Diego Choquehuanca, hijo de Cristóbal, se convirtió en el primer cacique de Azángaro. Fundó la iglesia de Azángaro en el mismo año y sus sucesores, siendo caciques, estaban exentos del pago de tributos. Ellos más bien se encargaban de recaudar el tributo de sus indios para las autoridades coloniales, con lo que la familia empieza a enriquecerse.

Diego Choquehuanca Huaco Túpac Inca (Azángaro 1705-1792), tataranieto del anterior, fue cacique principal y gobernador de Azángaro. Tenía 11 haciendas, un palacio en Azángaro, 100 mil cabezas de ganado ovino, 20 mil vacas, 10 mil alpacas y llamas. No es de extrañar que en esa época Diego fuera el hombre más poderoso de la región y quizás de todo el departamento.

Pero eran tiempos turbulentos. A la muerte de Diego, en 1792, sólo dos de sus cinco hijos estaban vivos. El mayor, Blas, había muerto en 1781 defendiendo la causa realista a manos de los rebeldes de Túpac Amaru. Su hijo, Manuel Joseph, fue el último cacique de Azángaro, hasta el 4 de Julio de 1825, cuando Bolívar decreta la cesación del cargo.

SE CONVIERTE EN UN PATRIOTA

De los dos hijos de Diego que quedaban vivos a su muerte, Gregorio era sacerdote. Él tuvo un hijo ilegitimo llamado José Domingo Choquehuanca (San Cristóbal, Cusco, 1789-1858). Según señala Ramos Zambrano, José Domingo es un personaje clave porque asume una posición opuesta a la que hasta entonces había mantenido su estirpe. “Mientras realiza sus estudios de abogacía en Chuquisaca, José Domingo se convierte en un patriota y decide luchar por el ideal libertario y emancipador”.
Él presidió la comisión de vecinos de Azángaro que recibió a Bolívar a su paso por Pucará, donde proclamó su famosa arenga. José Domingo fue alcalde de Azángaro en 1817, diputado en 1825, senador en 1832 y 1833 y prefecto de Puno en 1835. Tuvo un único hijo legítimo, José Luis.

Durante la primera mitad del siglo XIX los Choquehuanca pierden casi todas sus haciendas en litigios entre las diferentes ramas de la familia. Una de estas ramas principales era la de Juana Manuela Choquehuanca Ayulo, hija y heredera de Manuel Joseph, el último cacique.

Los Choquehuanca tienen el récord de juicios en Puno. De este modo, llegan a perder todo lo que les quedaba. De ser los mayores hacendados de la provincia en 1780, para 1900 ya no tenían ni tierras ni posición social.

CAMBIÓ SU NOMBRE

Francisco Chukiwanka Ayulo (Pucará, 1877-Lampa, 1957) fue según Ramos Zambrano el sucesor de José Domingo en el aspecto ideológico. Fue desde joven defensor del indio y dirige el movimiento pro-indígena en Puno. El nació como Francisco Miranda Choquehuanca, hijo ilegitimo de Juana Manuela Choquehuanca Ayulo, y el abogado Bernardo Miranda.

Años después cambió su nombre por el de su madre, porque su padre lo había abandonado, pero empezó a escribirlo en una estilo menos castellano: Chuquihuanca, y al conocer más el alfabeto quechua, me cuenta su hija doña Eugenia, lo empezó a escribir de manera más indígena: Chukiwanka.

“Mi padre era un hombre desprendido, noble y generoso que fundó la primera escuela particular para los indios cerca de Lampa”, recuerda Eugenia. No era amigo de la iglesia católica y fue ex comunicado.

A principios del siglo XX, Francisco compró una casona en Lampa donde nacieron sus hijos, entre ellos Eugenia. Él trabajó como presidente de la Corte Superior de Puno y profesor en el colegio San Carlos.

En esta misma casa nació Luis Enrique Chukiwanka Núñez, sobrino de doña Eugenia. A este arquitecto de 56 años lo conocí en Arequipa, donde vive ahora y me explica que es muy importante conocer nuestros orígenes “porque es algo que nos da fundamento”.
“Sólo te puedes sentir orgulloso de tus orígenes si estos son verdadero”, me explica.

DESHEREDADO

Aunque su filiación con la familia de los caciques Choquehuanca no está clara, José Domingo Choquehuanca Borda (* Puno 1934 + Arequipa 2009) siempre asumió que era miembro de esta familia, dicen sus hijas Lucía y Ana María en Arequipa.
El padre de este, Agustín Alfonso Choquehuanca Ayulo, según me relatan las hermanas fue desheredado después su matrimonio con la campesina Juanita Borda. Él murió en 1938 y José Domingo creció en Tacna. Después se mudó a Arequipa donde fundó varias empresas.

Este Choquehuanca también fue un líder y un luchador social, buscando mejorar la situación de los más pobres y por ello fundó la AUPA, la organización de pueblos jóvenes de Arequipa, para conseguir luz y agua y construir desagüe y pistas, en lo que hoy es el distrito de Selva Alegre. El fundó también la Camera Pyme para pequeñas y micro empresas en Arequipa. Sus hijas continúan su trabajo social.

LA POSICIÓN ÉTICA

La familia Choquehuanca es una de las pocas familias que conoce de manera precisa su vinculación con los emperadores Inca. La historia de esta familia es también una historia del Perú.

Primero fueron parte del imperio, trabajaron en la organización de la familia imperial, fueron expertos en la manera de gobernar a través de vínculos con pueblos conquistados, como los aimaras.

Después, durante la dominación española, sobrevivieron como nobleza local que apoyaba al invasor, y se convirtieron en caciques coloniales. Con la Independencia todo cambia de nuevo. Esta vez, la pérdida de su posición fue definitiva y completa.
Y desde entonces, los Choquehuanca se han reinventado. Primero como emancipadores y después como luchadores en una de las regiones más pobres del país, buscando mejorar la situación de su gente. Lo que queda ahora es ver quién de las generaciones actuales tomará la posta de ésta, una de las grandes familias peruanas.

LET EKEKO HELP YOU AT THE ´FERIA DE LOS DESEOS´

2010-01-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

Lima 9 January 2010. Today we visited in Lima the ´Feria de los Deseos´ (the market of the wishes). Organizer Lidia Cortez Ñaca from Puno explains that this is the eleventh year that she organizes this market in Lima. It is an old custom in the Altiplano, the area around lake Titicaca, around the summer solstice (December 21st), and dates possibly from the Tiahuanacu culture (1400 BC until 1200 AD). The patron saint of the Feria is Ekeko, a little obese guy that brings prosperity, abundance and happiness, en who is supposed to be a continuation of the deity Tunupu.

In the Altiplano the market is called Feria de las Alasitas. An aymara word. All the things you´d like to see happen are for sale in miniature on the market; houses, cars, divorce papers, suitcase with money and a visum etc. These are being blessed with incense and rose water and you have to keep them in a safe place at home, and Ekeko will make your wish reality. To simplify my wishes I bought some money in miniature, what subsequently was blessed. Now it lays in a safe little place.

Except these rather materialistic wishes, there are numerous other activities, you can do a floricimiento, a bath of flower petals, which brings prosperity and happiness as well. Or let your future be read in coca leaves, let your fears be taken away by an egg etc. Lidia Cortez says that the persons who do all of this are not shamans, because those are from the north of Peru. These are sacerdotes andinos. Other than shamans they don´t use liquor to spray over you for cleansing, but they use flower petals and animals like the armadillo and guinea pig.

Gastón Acurrio recieves Dutch prince Claus prize 2009

2009-12-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

Lima 17 December 2009 - Tonight chef Gastón Acurrio received from Dutch ambassador Barend van der Heijden one of the ten prizes for 2009 from the Prince Claus Fund for his significant contribution to culinary arts, for raising the profile of Peruvian cuisine and for fostering local development through creating pride in Peruvian culture and identity. Gastón accepted the price on behalf of all the people involved in Peruvian gastronomy, from the farmer who produces the products to the picarones salesman on the corner and the chef of the fancy restaurants in Miraflores and San Isidro.

Gastón divided his price over three projects. A cooking school in San Andrés in Pisco will be financed. Pisco was destroyed by the earthquake of 2008 and has still not recovered. Guaranga Films will get a contribution. They made recently a documentary on the ají (pepper) from the point of view of the farmers. And thirdly the Instituto de Cocina Pachacutec gets money for expansion. This school for cooks is located in the desert area in the district Ventanilla in the poor north of Lima. The school combines cooking classes with lessons in democracy. Recently hotel chain Marriott signed an agreement with the school for sponsoring of the hotel courses. The students will be trained in a Marriott hotel.

Regarding the question what message he has for the Dutch population who in general have little knowledge of the Peruvian cuisine, Gastón answers that countries without a large culinary tradition like Holland, England and Germany in general are very open to new experiences. It is to the Peruvians supply solutions. With the best Indonesian restaurants outside Indonesia Holland should be able to give opportunities to the Peruvian cuisine as well thinks Gastón.

The Prince Claus Fund seeks to highlight and celebrate artists, cultural groups and organizations that demonstrate significant interactions between culture and nature and introduce new ideas and approaches to environmental issues.

Peruvian baroque music live

2009-12-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

Today I finally attended an event with Peruvian baroque music. A mass organized by the Italian cultural institute in their chapel Santa Maria dei Fiore in Petit Thouars, Santa Beatriz, Lima. I love classical music and during the years I´ve become more critical. In Lima there is in general not much on offer, but Lima as the capital of the Spanish colonies in South America had a vice regal court and composers of baroque music. So what is more appropriate and interesting than to hear this music being performed here? Preferably in an (old) church.

There are not that many opportunities and you have to search a lot. I missed two occasions in May and November, because I discovered them after the event. But this time I was on time! At 11.00 a.m. the Misa en Octavo Tono of Peruvian composer Tomás Torrejón y Velasco (1644-1728) was going to be performed in the chapel of the Italian Institute by the Coro Lima Triumpante and Escuela Cantorum de la Universidad Catolica Sedes Sapientiae.

Although most events in the cultural institutes in Lima don’t attract enormous crowds and they also have the tendency not to start on time, I was early; 10.30. There was one woman, elegant looking, walking on the same deserted street. A fellow listener no doubt. Walking around the block to see if a door was open. But no, everything closed. Returning to the chapel, there was another woman waiting in the doorway. Pilar. We discussed Lima, music and the effort one has to do to find out about events such as this. By 11 am there were 4 people, including the elegant woman of earlier. But no movement of the doors. By 11.15 we were with 13. The discussions on the pavement became more animated, although by now you could hardly hear each other because of the traffic in Petit Thouars; noise, claxons and exhaust fumes practically blow you away.

At 11.30 the doors opened. A few workers came out, to clean the doors and sweep the pavement. Then after 15 minutes we were allowed in. Not much going on yet. Around 12 there were some important looking people walking in and out. Embassy persons? Anyway, at 12.30 the important looking people sat down as well and the priest came in. Mass was about to start! There were around 40 people, the chapel could easily contain 4 times as many.

The choirs started with the Hanacpachap Cussicuinin, the oldest polyphonic music composed in the Americas, published in 1631 and in the quechua language. Then the Misa en Octavo Tono from Torrejón y Velasco, composed in 1706. The priest by the way held the mass in part Italian, part Spanish, without a sermon, just with some thoughts. To give major attention to the music. Conductor José Quezada Macchiavello made a integral reconstruction of the text, which consists of the Kyrie, Credo, Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. He added the Halleluya in Gregorian chant and included the Ave Verum of Mozart as well. This is how a mass should be! Wonderful music that lifts your soul up to the heavens. Worth the waiting of 1,5 hour.

The adventures of Lorenzo Ayun Chifo, an intruder cacique in Jauja

2009-11-29T16:28:00.000-08:00

In 1667 Jerónimo Lorenzo Limaylla sailed from Peru to Spain to claim before king Carlos II the cacicazgo of Luringuaca in the Jauja area. When looking at the waves during his long trip he must undoubtedly have been thinking how far he had come. He was quite an adventurer. Born in 1622 in Reque as Lorenzo Ayun Chifo, son of Juan Ayun and Maria Fallem, and a spindle whorl maker. He was educated by the local priest and later by the Franciscans, learning to speak, read and write in Spanish. After moving to Lima he travelled to Spain with Fray Buenaventura Salinas in 1646 as his personal servant and went later with him to Mexico.

In 1655 he returned to Reque. He had however not paid his tribute in years, so he fled to Lima. To raise his fortune he impersonated Jerónimo Lorenzo Limaylla, the deceased illegitimate son of cacique Lorenzo Valentin Limaylla of Luringuaca, who had died in 1648, leaving an only legitimate daughter who married her cousin Bernardino Mangoguala Limaylla and who died as well around 1650. Lorenzo claimed the cacicazgo in 1655, pretending to be the closest male heir. This lead to a long legal battle with Bernardino. The judges preferred Bernardino as being the legitimate heir, but Lorenzo did not give up. In 1667 he sailed for Spain to petition the court. In 1678 he is still in Madrid …

Source: What´s in a name? An Indian trickster travels the Spanish colonial world by José Carlos de la Puente Luna, may 2006

Despedida

2009-11-18T06:03:00.000-08:00

Last night the streets of Puno were transformed in rivers, because of the torrential rains that start between six and seven o´clock. During the day it is sunny, but at five in the afternoon you see the heavy grey clouds building up on the horizon. Eduardo, my first contact here, tells me that the rains are very late. Normally they should start already in september or october, now they just started last thursday. He works in agriculture, were the weather is always very important.
Most people here earn their living in agriculture. Very small scale. Very poor in general. After the agrarian reform the haciendas became cooperatives, but those were divided quickly over the workers, most livestock was sold. So now it is all very small. Eduardo says that mines offer work, but the pay is low and the work is very hard.
Maybe the memory of Potosi is still there as well, These areas of Peru were the main source of the forced labour. The men had to work in the mines, many died there or stayed, few ever returned to their native villages. The villages had a fiesta called cacharpari or despedida, to say goodbye to their men. According to Eduardo that fiesta is now incorporated in the Fiesta de la Candelaria.
And I am going to Arequipa. Adios Puno.

Encountering Eugenia

2009-11-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

More or less by surprise I met Eugenia Chukiwanka this morning in Juliaca. Earlier that day I spoke with her sister in law and she asked me: don´t you want to talk to Eugenia, she is now in Juliaca. Por supuesto! Eugenia will be 90 next January. She is quite a character. Never married, ¨only marry when you´re on all issues on the same level, otherwise don´t think about it¨, but with two children ¨my friends told me children would give me a goal in life¨. much more will follow of course later ...

Hit by a hammer in Puno

2009-11-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

Of course I knew that Puno is 4,000 meters higher than Lima, but still it came a bit as a surprise how heavy the headache can be because of the altitude. I arrived in Juliaca at 3 pm and then went with a little bus to Puno. Juliaca is not very nice, just brown houses. The road to Puno is great; a big expanse of sky over fields with yellow grass. You can see people herding their cows and sheep and even a little group of vicuñas (or small llama´s?). Then towards Puno some hills and crossing them you see below lake Titicaca and sprawling on the coast Puno. Messy but also cozy. Well that evening the hammer hit me. Luckily this afternoon it was much better. There really is not much else to do than lay flat on your bed.
I met already a triple descendant of the Choquehuancas, of all different lines. His mother was a Chukiwanka Choquehuanca and a direct descendant of the procer of the independence José Domingo and of his cousin the last cacique of Azangaro. And his father descended through his mother as well from this family. Would be great to get some old family pictures. Tomorrow to Lampa to see the family home of the beginning of the 20th century. And of course to try to find a way to meet Eugenia.

On the trail of the Choquehuancas

2009-11-15T07:24:00.000-08:00

Today I am leaving for Puno and Arequipa to find descendants and relatives of the family Choquehuanca. This family had the cacicazgo of Azángaro to the north of Puno until it was abolished on July 4th 1825. the first Choquehuanca or Chuquihuanca, Diego, was a grandson of emperor Huayna Capac and became cacique of Azángaro in 1586.
A descendant the lawyer Francisco Chuquihuanca Ayulo was a leader of the Indigenista movement in the 1920-ies. His daughter Eugenia, now in her 90-ies, should still be alive and living in Arequipa.
Through historian Augusto Ramos Zambrano I got some contacts in Puno and will start from there.

New type of quipu found in huaca in Lima

2009-10-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Archeological /historical news week 43 2009

New type of quipu found in Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores, Lima
Archeaelogists lead by Isabel Flores have discovered a tomb with a woman of around 60 years old from the Huari period (ca. 700 AD) in the Huaca Pucllana in the district Miraflores of Lima. The tomb was adorned with bracelets in the form of quipus, a counting system based on strands and knots in textiles, but here done with other material. This is the first time that such a quipu has been found.
El Comercio 25 October 2009

Statues discovered in Chan Chan
After various weeks of excavation Cristóbal Campana, responsible for restauration and conservation of Chan Chan, presented 17 wooden anthropomorphic statues from the latest phase of the Chimu empire, dating 1350-1400 AD.
Andina 19 October 2009

The demise of El Buque

2009-10-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

Among the one storey buildings along Jiron Junin, El Buque stands out. Not only because of its towering bulk of three storeys on the corner of the street with Jiron Cangallo, opposite the famous Piedra Horadada, but as well for the bad state of the edifice. The sky can be seen through the holes in the roofs of the third floor. On the Cangallo side a part of the ground floor has collapsed. Leakage from broken pipes has done much damage to the 18th century quincha building. Once it was the home to various mayors of Lima. Now the upper floor has been invaded and a variety of owners and renters live in the other parts of the house.

Miguel Pielago Berrospe (76) has been living here for the last 44 years and he owns his apartment of 40-45 m2. He is president of the Asociación pro Vivienda proprietarios y ocupantes El Buque Jr. Junín 979. He is fed up and he wants the building to be ´desmonumentalized´. His home is collapsing and according to him more than six years of discussion with the Municipality and Instituto Nacional de la Cultura (INC) have lead to nothing. His neighbor Elisabeth Guarniz Escudero (67) agrees with him. She lives in the back part of the house of what used to be the stables and the servants quarters. Her mother moved here in 1940 after an earthquake destroyed her house in another part of Barrios Altos. She rents her apartment. This is also the main problem of El Buque she says. Many owners of apartments don´t live here, but have either rented the rooms out of leave them empty.´ They don´t care about the building´. The people who have invaded the third floor can go in and out of the building through the balconies.

The unclear property situation, with lacking documents, is according to Juan Julio García Rivas, director de Patrimonio Histórico Colonial y Republicano of the INC, the reason no advance has been made in restoration. The municipality has to declare it an Area de Tratamiento (AT) and the owners have to reach agreement on how to finance it. The government does not pay for restoration of monuments that are private property. The owners however could try to find funds of their own, like it happened in La Casa de Las Columnas. A new law is being discussed that could put an end to this, although it remains to be seen if the current occupants will be happy with it. A monument with unresolved ownership documents could pass to the municipality, which will offer it first to the current occupants, but if they cannot afford it, the building will be offered to others.

In the first half of the 18th century Don Joaquín de Mendoza Ladrón de Guevara y Fernández Maldonado built a mansion here. He was born in Moquegua in 1703 and served as Mayor of Lima in 1753, according to the book Las Viejas Calles de Lima of Juan Bromley. After his death his daughter Maria Manuela Mendoza Ladrón de Guevara y de los Rios, wife of another Mayor of Lima, Don Francisco de Robles Maldonado, inherited the house. Having no children the property passed to her sister Juana Margarita, married to Joaquín de Galdeano, Fiscal de la Audiencia de Lima and Oidor de México. Their son José Maria de Galdeano y Mendoza, born in 1780, was Mayor of Lima in 1821 and a representative of Virrey Pezuela who met general San Martin in the hacienda Punchauca to discuss a peace treaty and the independence of Peru. After him the house became property of the Carrillo de Albornoz family, former counts of Monteblanco.

They must have sold it sometime in the first half of the 20th century, as it was an engineer that owned it around 1940. Elisabeth Guarniz told me that this engineer divided the place in the 54 apartments of today and sold those. Since then it seems that not much has been done for the maintenance of the building. Two apartments have completely collapsed, the upper floors and the wooden stairs have become dangerous places to tread. It seems hardly a habitable place anymore and one wonders if there really is a future for El Buque.

Peru has oldest observatory of the Americas in Chankillo

2009-10-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

Archeological /historical news week 41 2009

Observatory of Chankillo oldest in the Americas
A recent study of Peruvian archeologist Iván Ghezzi says that the ancient site Chankillo with thirteen towers in the middle of the desert south of Casma in the district of Ancash is an observatory. The towers have an exact relation with the movements of the sun. They were constructed 2.300 years ago by a culture possibly part of that of Chavín and Cupisnique. This means that this observatory is older than the Mayan one of Uaxactún in the north of Guatemala, which dates from the 3rd century AD. (Somos 3 October 2009)

Museum by locals in Pisac
Francisco Rojas president of the new museum of Pisac has involved the 12 communities or ayllus of the district of Pisac near Cusco in the construction of the museum. The museum is financed by a US fund and the advisers are Mexican anthropologists. The locals chose the contents for display in the museum, based on what is important in their lives, from everyday use to the sacred. (El Comercio 2 October 2009)

Tomb of child priestess found in Cahuachi, Nasca 300-450 AD
Italian architect Giuseppe Orefici discovered the tomb of a priestess in the Nasca city of Cahuachi. The tomb in rooms located between two pyramids dates from the Early Nasca period, 300-450 AD. In the adobe tomb the mummified body of a girl of 12-14 years old was found. Based on the findings of gold and silver jewellery and precious stones she must have belonged to the priest elite of the place. There were no signs of the child being sacrificed, so she probably died from natural causes.
Giuseppe Orefici has been working since 1982 in Nasca. He pays personally for the guardian to protect the site. (El Comercio 3 October 2009)

Pre-Hispanic remains found in Cusco
In an urban zone in the north eastern part of the city of Cusco archeologists have discovered 12 burials and dwellings. The persons that were found probably worked as servants for the local elite. The dwellings date from the Inca period. (Peru.21 8 October 2009)

Huaca San Pedro in Chimbote will be restored
The huaca San Pedro in Chimbote which dates from the Moche period (100-600 AD) in Chimbote will be restored. An investment of 1,6 million soles (0,6 million US dollars). Local archeologists believe that the huaca contains many ceramics and other artifacts and possibly mausoleums of the local elite. In the past a sports field was constructed on the top of the huaca. (El Comercio 10 October 2009)

Church of Virgin of Cocharcas built on pre-Hispanic ruins

2009-09-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Archeological /historical news week 39 2009

The ruins of a pre-Hispanic ceremonial site were discovered under the shrine of the Virgin of Cocharcas in the province of Chincheros in Apurimac reported press agency Andina on 21 September. Pedro Fernandez Diaz, deputy director of the National Institute of Culture (INC) in Cuzco, explained that the ruins consist of walls and a ceremonial building similar to an altar, where possibly offerings were made to divinities. According to him the pre-Hispanic ruins would be from the Chanca period with Wari and Inca influence.

The shrine of the Virgin of Cocharcas is the most important pilgrimage site in Apurímac. Her day is celebrated on 8 September. In 1598 Sebastián Quimichi carved a replica of the Virgin of Copacabana. The church was constructed in the first quarter of the 17th century. In the Cusqueño school of painting the Virgin of Cocharcas is a subject as well. Only around 30 paintings with this theme exist. September 18th a very beautiful one was put up for the annual auction of the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) and sold for 80,000 US dollars.

Archeological /historical news week 38 2009

2009-09-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

2,900 year old tomb of Lady of Pacopampa discovered
In Pacopampa, in province of Chota in the region Cajamarca, a team of the Ethnological Museum of Japan and the Peruvian San Marcos University led by Japanese archeologist Yuji Seki has discovered on September 2nd a tomb of around 2,900 years old. In the tomb a woman of 30 till 40 years old and a height of 1.55 meters was found, surrounded by two large gold earpieces, black pottery and shells. The woman belonged obviously to the ruling class of a culture from the same period as Chavín and Cupisnique. (RPP 9 September 2009).

Cusco and Sacsuahuamán in danger?
A mission of Unesco will visit Cusco in October to determine if the historical center is in danger according to mayor Luis Flórez García. The municipality is considering to upgrade the Subgerencia del Centro Histórico de la Municipalidad del Cusco in a Gerencia to initiate more actions for the preservation of the material and immaterial heritage of the old Inca capital. Unesco declared the city of Cusco in 1983 Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Peru.21 15 September 2009).
Washington Camacho, director of the archeological site Sacsahuamán, wants 15 families who live on the site to be expropriated. They occupy 600 hectares of the total of 3.093 hectares and have constructed their houses on top of remains from the Inca period. (El Comercio 16 September 2009).

Archeological/historical news week 36 2009

2009-09-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Maucallacta, the last oracle of the Incas
The archeological site Maucallacta was one of the five Inca oracles described by conquistador Pedro Cieza de León (1520-1554). The site is located at an altitude of 4,000 metres on a mountain top near Coropuna in the district Pampacolca in the province Castilla, six hours from Arequipa. The site is being excavated by the University of Warsaw and Universidad Católica de Santa María de Arequipa. This Inca ceremonial center dates back to pre Inca times and could accommodate 5,000 people. (Sources Peru.21 31 August 2009 and El Comercio 2 September 2009).

Archeological/historical news week 35 2009

2009-09-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Moche tomb from 1st century AD discovered
A Moche tomb from the first century AD is discovered in the Huaca Rajada in de region Lambayeque. The tomb, 11.5 meters below the ground, has been discovered by Walter Alva, who in 1987 discovered the tomb of the Lord of Sipán in the same huaca. Alva says that this tomb could be of the founder of the dynasty, as the bones are of a warrior that maybe formed part of the royal family. The warrior was 1.65 m tall and around 30 years old, according to Luis Chero, director of the archeological proyect Sipán (Sources Andina and Peru.21 25 August 2009).

Pilot plan for protecting casonas in Miraflores
The Municipality of Miraflores in Lima has made a proposal for protecting casonas in the Calle Bellavista. Casonas of two floors located in a zone where five floors is the maximum can sell their surplus of three floors to construction companies who may build those three floors in another part of the district. With the money the casona can be restored. The proposal is sent to the Instituto Nacional de la Cultura (INC) and Concejo de Lima. (Source El Comercio 19 August 2009).

Hacienda San Juan Grande, a symbol of Lima´s agricultural past

2009-08-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hidden behind the housing blocks of urban schemes in the south of Surco lie the remains of the casa hacienda San Juan Grande. Once this was – together with San Juan Bautista de Villa – the largest hacienda in Surco. Both were owned by the Jesuits until their expulsion from Peru in 1767. The last owner was a member of the Canevaro family, that had made their fortune in trade, among others of Chinese coolies. Since 1925 the house is slowly falling apart. The church next to it has been restored in 1992, but larger plans never came to be. Now the walls of the house have to be supported, otherwise they will collapse. The owner, the Fundación Canevaro, is trying with the Municipality of Surco and the Instituto Nacional de Cultura to restore the place, but an investment of two million dollars is needed.

The patio is almost like a cloister

The casa hacienda San Juan Grande is supposedly built on pre-Hispanic remains from the times of the curacazgo (lordship) of Sulco, which formed part of the Ichma territory with Pachacamac as capital. In 1570 the native population had to leave its villages and had to relocate to the reducción de los indios Santiago de Surco, nowadays Surco Viejo. The present building dates from the 18th century. In 1767 the house was described as follows: ´Una vivienda alta con su patio, y traspatio la que tiene dos Corredores, que mira a una, y otra parte cubiertos de Madera resibidos sobre columnas de lo mismo sus Barandillas, y quince bancas de firme, quarto escaleras, dos bajas de patio, y dos al dho traspatio, y dha vivienda que se compone de ocho cuartos Corrientes con sus puertas, chapas y llaves, en el patio la Ofizina de Azeite, y seis cuartos vajos pequeños en el Callejon que sale al traspatio, dos Cuartos, y en cada uno un Zepo.´ The house was damaged during the war with and occupation by Chile and must have been restored after that. It has a square floor plan, with the church on the right and a big patio, almost like a cloister, behind the main building of the casa hacienda. The square in front of the house has the service buildings on the other sides. The high pine tree in the patio fell down in 2001.
The dating of the church is 1752, but probably contains much older parts. The church is, logically for a Jesuit hacienda, a very prominent feature with its impressive façade with two bell towers. The church has a single nave, covered by a quincha barrel vault, and adobe walls. The dome was made out of quincha as well and collapsed in the earth quake of 1966, destroying the wooden retablo, the main altarpiece. The church has been restored in 1992.

The hacienda produced mainly sugar

The first owner of lands near the road from Lima to Pachacamac that later became the hacienda San Juan Grande was Diego de Porres Sagrado who obtained them in 1559. He became mayor of Lima in 1572, 1575 and 1580. Diego and his wife Ana de Sandoval supported the Jesuits. They not only donated land and houses in Lima to the order, but ceded in 1581 as well the hacienda in Surco. Diego died in Lima January 10th 1588. In 1595 the Jesuits acquired ´la Valle de Villa´, to become the hacienda San Juan Bautista de Villa near Chorrillos. The Jesuits acquired more land from the caciques of Surco in the following decades. They constructed a water reservoir to supply San Juan Grande, as this area was dry, while Villa had sufficient water. The area of San Juan Grande was in the seventeenth century around 480 hectares. The hacienda produced mainly sugar and honey from sugar cane, but had livestock, olive trees and alfalfa as well. In 1767 there were 482 slaves. The Jesuits must have used the square in front of the church for colorful religious ceremonies, with african musicians. But all of this ended September 9th 1767, when on the orders of King Carlos III the activities of the order where terminated. This in the light of more liberal policies of the Borbon king, who tried to recduce the role and power of the church and the monastic orders. Of course the wealth of the Jesuits must have caused jealousy as well.

The boy hero Julio César Escobar

The hacienda San Juan Grande was first administered by several government officials and sold in 1784 to Nicolás Coronel y Unzueta. At that time it comprised of 727 hectares, but was cut off from its water supply, that now belonged to the hacienda Villa. In 1790 Coronel sold his property to Joseph Rudecindo Casanova. And in 1809 José Alzamora Ursino y Mendoza bought the hacienda, which was now in a bad state. He died in 1837. The hacienda was a shadow of what it had been during the Jesuit period, with only 60 slaves.
During the war of the Pacific with Chile the hacienda was used by general Cáceres to house his troops. The boy hero Julio César Escobar climbed the pine tree to look out for the Chilean troops. After they had conquered the area, they executed Julio César at the base of the tree.

The Fundación Canevaro became owner of the hacienda

After the war the hacienda became property of general César Canevaro Valega. His father Giuseppe Canevaro was born in Zoagli near Genova in 1803. Having made a fortune in Ecuador, he moved to Peru around 1830, became rich in lending to the state and founded trading house José Canevaro e Hijos. His son José Canevero Valega transported Chinese culíes. After the abolition of slavery in 1854 the Chinese became a popular cheap source of agricultural labour. Importing Chinese workers was suspended in 1856, when 18,000 Chinese had been brought to Peru. But the haciendados pushed the government to allow it again in 1861. In the period till 1870 39,000 Chinese were imported and from 1871 till 1874, when this trade was put to an end, 40,000. It is estimated that a third of the Chinese laborers were brought by Canevaro ships in the period 1863-1874. The Italian state made José in 1883 Duca di Castelvari e Zoagli. In 1878 he became second vice president of Peru and later ambassador in Europe. He was married to Maria Luisa Soyer Lavalle, a greatgranddaughter of José Lavalle, Conde de Premio Real, who bought the hacienda San Juan Bautista de Villa. He died without children in an accident in France in 1900.
Hs brother César Canevaro was mayor of the Provincial Council of Lima in 1881 and 1886-1888, senator for Lima 1886-1894 and for Huancavelíca 1911-1916 and ambassador to the United States 1893-1894. He died in 1922, childless. His widow Ignacia Rodulfo designated in her will that the income from the properties should be used for charity. She died in Paris in 1925. The Fundación Ignacia R. de Canevaro was formed, which became owner of the hacienda and the other real estate. The fund finances projects for orphans, old people and invalids.

The remains of the casa hacienda and the church are waiting already a very long time for a new future. The place is magnificent and could easily be used for various functions; touristic, religious, festive, gastronomic.

Selected literature:
Flores-Zúñiga, Fernando; Haciendas y Pueblos de Lima, Historia del valle del Rímac, Valle de Sullco y Lati, Lima 2009
Lértora Carrera, Aldo; Restauración de la Iglesia y Casa-hacienda de San Juan Grande de Surco, in Arkinka, Lima, February 1996
Mücke, Ulrich; Political culture in nineteenth century Peru, Pittsburgh 2004
Rodríguez-Camilloni, Humberto; The Jesuit Rural Churches on the Southern Peruvian Coast, In The Jesuits II, Cultures, Sciences and The Arts 1540-1773, Toronto 2006

La Casa de Las Columnas

2009-08-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Living in a historical house in Lima AD 2009

When you walk from the Plaza de Armas in Lima along the Jr. Conde de Superunda past the church and convent of Santo Domingo you pass the magnificent blue Casa de Osambela. Next to it is an entrance, number 316. Welcome to the Casa de Las Columnas. You enter a different world. It could be the nineteenth century, or earlier. It smells of humidity and urine. Laundry is drying everywhere. Women are busy doing the laundry by hand in the courtyard. This place was from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century the noviciado of the convent of Santo Domingo. Boys were learning to become monks.

Only 20 persons have a regular job
Now 61 families live here in 53 rooms, divided over two patios. In total around 250 people have their home here, of which 50 children. Only 20 persons have a regular job. A room is on average 30 square meters. They don´t have running water or toilets. Around the first patio live 43 families. They have to share two taps and one toilet. Two other toilets have broken down and have not been repaired. Only seven families use the toilet, the others use bedpans. The second patio has a bit better services for its 18 families; three taps and four toilets. Since the beginning of the nineties people don´t pay rent anymore, tells Iván del Castillo Vélasquez. He moved here in 1984 when he was 17 years old from Cabana in Ancash. To study in Lima to become a teacher. Now he teaches Spanish at a secondary school and he is secretary of the Asociación de Vivienda Las Columnas. But he is moving out in December. Finally he is eligible for Techo Propio. He has a wife and a son of five. ´This is no place for a child to grow up´, he says. Many people are drunk and play loud music at night. As they don´t pay rent, they also don´t care for the place. The way of living here is not a good example at all.

Part of the convent Santo Domingo
On August 5th Iván initiated a talk about the history of the house for the inhabitants. So they would know where they´re living. Around 30 people attended. The talk was organized together with the NGO Centro de Investigación, Documentación y Asesoria Poblacional (CIDAP) as part of their campaign Centro Histórico de Lima: centro vivo. First Deolinda Villa Esteves of the sub dirección de Investigación Histórica of the Dirección de Patrimonio Histórico Colonial y Republicano of the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC) explained the history of the building. Originally it was part of the convent of Santo Domingo. This convent occupied since 1541 two whole blocks, with the church and tower on the lower right corner, the noviciado on the lower left corner and the refectorio on the upper left corner. In the book Tesoros Verdaderos de las Indias from 1681/83 the convent is described in detail.

Dwellings for people with little means
The great earthquake of 1746 destroyed most of Lima, including the church and convent of Santo Domingo. They were rebuilt in the second half of the eighteenth century. To raise funds the Dominicans sold parts of their block; among others the refectorio and the right part of the noviciado. The latter was sold to Martín de Osambela, who built his mansion here. The remaining part of the noviciado became refectorio. It was used as such in 1810. In the period 1830-1850 it was used as a police station. The present entrance was constructed in that time. As of 1852 a certain Nicolás Rodrigo started to buy and rent these parts from the Dominicans. He constructed dwellings here for people with little means and rented them out. These constructions are what we can see today. They are not very good; no direct light and bad ventilation.
I could find two references to a Nicolás Rodrigo. In El Comercio of November 14th 1840 he announced together with Domingo Elías the opening of the colegio Nuestra Señora de Guadelupe in the old building of the Estanco de Tabaco. Rodrigo and Elías had received this building from president Gamarra. And in the 1850-ies Nicolás Rodrigo was a partner of Manuel Pardo in his guano export business.

The original floor is still there
After the historical context of the building architect Antonio Coello of the Escuela Taller de Lima talked about his findings. Main objectives were to see how findings here would correspond with those in the convent and to see if a dating could be made for pottery from colonial times. The arches are eighteenth century as part of the rebuilding of the convent. Several excavations showed that de original red tiled floor of the sixteenth century convent is still present 1.20 meters below the present floor. Several seventeenth century tinajas, big earthenware jugs, were found as well in the soil, for keeping of oil and other liquids, and remains of pottery from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century.

La Casa de Las Columnas should be taken care of better. It would be great if the occupants of the house could do this in combination with professionals. Can 150 years of neglect be counteracted quick enough?

Archeological /historical news week 31 2009

2009-08-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Casa Rosell Ríos to host Casa Cor 2009

Workmen are busy repairing the magnificent Casa Rosell Ríos in Avenida Grau 428, Barranco, as the house is hosting the interior decoration event Casa Cor. Casa Cor starts September 22nd and ends November 1st 2009. After more then 20 years of abandonment and falling apart the house will finally be restored. Casa Rosell Ríos was constructed in 1909/12 by French architect H. Rotouin, when Barranco was a popular seaside resort for the upper class. The style is eclectic, with many beautiful details in wood and plaster. The house is mainly built with adobe, quincha and wood. The entrance is impressive with big stairs leading to a domed hallway. In the rooms many original elements have remained.

The house was first owned by Juan Esteban Ríos. Two of his daughters, Mercedes and Luzmila Ríos Martínez de Vargas, married Teodosio Alberto Rosell Cacho (* Trujillo 7-8-1870 + 28-12-1965), son of Pio Vicente Rosell González y Tamayo and María Teodosia de Cacho Lavalle y Tuesta, a descendant of a sister of the first Conde de Premio Real. Pio Vicente was married before to a daughter of president Borgoño. The son of Teodosia and Luzmila, José Rosell Ríos was fiscal de la Corte Superior de Lima and Catedrático de la Universidad Católica. After the death of his first wife Angela Sousa Miranda he remarried in 1956 Carmela Boza Lizarzaburu. She died in 1995. By then the house had already been rented out, since the seventies, to house offices and was abandoned in the eighties.

Alameda de los Descalzos will be restored

Francis Allison, minister of Vivienda, Construccion and Saneamiento announced that in the beginning of August restauration would start of the Alameda de los Descalzos in the districtof Rimac. The restauration will be coordinated between the Municipality of Rímac and the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC) and will cost 4 million soles. The work is expected to be complete in 2011.
The Alameda de los Descalzos dates from 1609/11 and was reconstructed in 1771 and used to be a meeting place for clandestine lovers. It is now very far removed from the lush green image on old pictures and postcards. (El Comercio 31 July 2009)

Church La Ermita in Barranco to be saved

This week the Municipality of Barranco has started to clean and fumigate the Church La Ermita in Barranco, was has been closed for circa 40 years. This to enable the INC to investigate the best way to recover this building.
This church was built in the 1880-ies on the place where a former smaller church was destroyed by invading Chilean troops in 1881. (Escape 31 July 2009)

Castle of Markahuamachuco about to collapse

The towering walls of the castle of Markahuamachuco have been damaged by the rains and are now on the point of collapsing according to the mayor of the province of Sánchez Carrión, Carlos Loyola. A project to preserve the site will be presented to the INC in the coming weeks.
Markahuamachuco lies in the Andes and is nine hours by bus from Trujillo and 10 kilometers dirt road from Huamachuco. The buildings date from the period 400-1000 AD and were constructed by the huachemines. They formed the lordship of the Huamachucos, that kept its independence until it became part of the Inca empire around 1470. (El Comercio 1 August 2009)

Cooking in Peru

2009-07-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

When I actually was living in Peru I felt a bit overwhelmed by it all. And I did not know what to cook. While travelling the country you taste the variety, every province has it´s own typical dishes and Lima has an abundance of good restaurants; Peruvian, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, sea food, creole, afroperuvian, fast food. But when you have to cook yourself, what should you do? And I love cooking, so this issue had to be solved. Two months after moving here, we visited a pre-Hispanic ritual in a huaca of more than 2,500 years old presided over by a real shamana. When she performed a private ritual for us, we could ask for something as well. That was not a difficult: inspiration.

Since then I have never been without inspiration. You can make easily all kinds of Italian dishes, Chinese dishes and even Dutch ones. All the ingredients for snert, the Dutch soup made from green peas, vegetables and various pork meats are available. It tastes just like home. As does cauliflower with a white sauce, cooked potatoes, meat balls and gravy. But we live in Peru. So we should eat Peruvian as well. The more simple Peruvian dishes are not a problem. Causa, papa a la huancaína, arroz con pollo and pie de limón are straight forward.

Many of the others look rather complicated. So I took a summer course Cocina Peruana at the Cordon Bleu Institute. That was fascinating. Preparing tamalitos verdes piuranos, tacu-tacu de mariscos, rocoto relleno con lomo, seco chavelo, yuquitas rellenas con langostinos a las huancaínas, arroz con pato a la chiclayana, cebiche de langostinos a la piedra, adobo cusqueño, cebiche de pato and cabrito al vino tinto con picante de pallares verdes. It went excellent, the only comment I got every time was ´not enough salt´. To me enormous quantities of salt are used here. And a lot of other condiments as well: peppers (aji), garlic (ajo), black pepper, cumin.

So after that I could prepare them at home and impress guests at dinner. The best place for buying food is the market. The market in Surquillo or the one in Surco. Even famous chef Gastón Acurio buys there. And they are wonderful, especially for the fish. Vegetables and fruit that you eat uncooked, like lettuce and strawberries you have to clean with a special bacteria killer, as sewage water can be used to water the fields. That does not appeal to me much. So I buy most things in the supermarket. Once I wanted to cook cabrito (goat) al vino tinto and I was not in the mood to go to the market. Let´s try Wong. And yes, after some waiting they came with a goat. A whole goat. And frozen. With the legs outstretched, much to the interest of the other waiting people. After they cut it in pieces I took it home, marinated it for a night and prepared a very nice dish.

Archeological /historical news week 30 2009

2009-07-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Chavín de Huántar illuminated at night

The archeological complex Chavín de Huántar dating from 300 BC is now illuminated during the night, enabling night visits from tourists and giving an impulse to the local economy. The site is 4 hours from Huaraz. Chavín de Huántar was the capital of the Chavín culture, which influenced most of the central and northern coastal area of Peru in the period 800 till 200 BC. The site became a Unesco World Heritage site in 1985. The lighting cost 80,000 dollars. (El Comercio 25 July 2009)

Mummies found in huaca in Lima

In the pre-Hispanic temple (huaca) of Huantille in the district Magdalena eight mummies from the Ichma period were discovered during restoration work on the huaca. Half of them were buried together with ceramics and some small jewelry of copper, silver and gold. Earlier already four mummies were discovered. The Ichma culture dates from the 11th or 12th century when Aymara speaking peoples from the south invaded the coastal areas after the collapse of the Huari empire. They lasted till the conquest by the Incas. The Ichma used big adobe blocks for constructing their temples and fortresses. (Peru21 23 July 2009)

Archeological/historical news week 29 2009

2009-07-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Canto Grande

On July 14th the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC) warned for a possible invasion of the Archeological Reserve Canto Grande in San Juan de Lurigancho on July 26th by some 10,000 families from other parts of Lima. Canto Grande was made a cultural heritage site in 2003 because it contains the oldest geoglyphs in Peru, dating from 2,500 BC. Much older than those in Palpa (600-100 BC) and Nazca (300 BC - 900 AD). Originally it was thought that these lines had an astronomical meaning, now the hypothesis is that they were part of a water cult and ceremonial circuits. Because of insufficient housing in Lima people see this terrain as a possible solution. Lots are already being sold. (El Comercio 15 July 2009).

Chan Chan

Bones of a sacrificed woman from the Chimú culture are discovered near a wall of one of the palaces of Chan Chan. The woman was sacrificed to pacify the gods because of the El Niño phenomenon, which causes flooding.(Peru21 14 July 2009)

The state of emergency should be declared for Chan Chan, because of the damage caused by the rains this year and with the possibility of a repetition of El Niño phenomenon. Due to climate change the last years it is raining much more than in the past and ground water levels are rising. Chan Chan is made of mud, so it is easily damaged. A plan for covering and draining has been made in 2005, but still has to be implemented. (El Comercio 8 July 2009)

Colonial buildings

The Colegio de Abogados de La Libertad (CALL) is constructing without permission a third floor on the colonial building that they use as an office in the Jirón Independencia in Trujillo. The Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC) denounced the activity and building was put to a stop. (El Comercio 15 July 2009).

Cusco

A pre-Hispanic wall is discovered in a street – calle Triunfo – in the historic centre of Cusco. The wall was made of green diorite stone and is 80 centimeters wide and probably originally 100 metres long. In the Inca era the calle Triunfo was the entry of the inca road Antisuyo, leading to one of the four parts of the empire. (El Comercio 11 July 2009)

During the same work a funeral arrangement was discovered consisting of three skulls, extremities and some other bones. The remains have been sent to a laboratory for examination. (Diario El Sol del Cusco 17 July 2009)

Inca Trail

World Heritage
A proposal for the Inca Trail to become World Heritage is being made in Lima. Starting next Monday July 20th representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Perú are meeting in the Peruvian capital. (El Comercio 17 July 2009)

New trail discovered near Machu Picchu
Personnel of the Instituto Nacional de Cultura of Cusco, volunteers of the project Ukhupacha and of the Spanish University Jaime I de Castellón have discovered a new inca trail between the mountain Machu Picchu and the city. It was possibly part of the complex Wuaraqtambo. The road is 1 meter wide and the supporting walls are up to 4 to 5 meters high. (El Comercio 10 July 2009)

A new future for Lima´s huacas

2009-07-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

In the districts of Ventanilla, San Juan de Lurigancho and Pueblo Libre pre-Hispanic monuments, some more than 4,000 years old, have been saved by local initiatives. Especially the initiative in San Juan de Lurigancho is a very interesting one, as a huaca has been adopted by a local school. Lima has so many huacas, that the state does not have enough money and manpower to take care of all of them. In wealthy districts as La Molina, Miraflores and San Isidro these huacas are now preserved and turned into museums, but in the other parts they are very often neglected and turned into garbage dumps.

On June 28th students from local school Daniel Alcides Carrión in San Juan de Lurigancho organized a traditional festival called Inti Raymi in the huaca Campoy. The huaca is surrounded by slums, constructed by migrants from other parts of Peru in the last 10 years. Organizer Arturo Vasques, professor sociology, explains that he wants this children to understand what their history is and keep them away from delinquency. Last year they organized for the first time an Inti Raymi and in the process the children cleaned the huaca. They now work together with the Instituto Nacional de la Cultura (INC) and maintain the huaca. The children are proud of their work and heritage and the huaca is safe.

El Paraíso in Ventanilla is taken care of by the local community and has a residing shaman, a woman originally from Ancash. She performs pre-Hispanic rituals in this huaca. For instance the spring equinox ritual on September 20th . The celebration is called Qapaq Warmi Kuraq Raymi or Qoya Raymi Killa. The rituals focus on spiritual cleansing, a ´fresh´ start of the new year and personal renovation.

The huaca Mateo Salado near Plaza de la Bandera is at the moment closed for visitors, but it is a good example of an Ichma pyramid, built with big blocks of adobe. To the south of the complex there are various smaller huacas, all part of the same complex. One of them has been adopted by the neighborhood and is well looked after. In stead of a barren sandy terrain, the huaca now lies in a lush green park.

Lima has a fascinating history of more than 3,000 years of continuous habitation. Although structures from recent times dominate, you can find buildings from colonial times and the early years of the republic in Lima Center, Rimac and Surco Viejo, and structures from pre Hispanic times all over the metropolitan area. The oldest ones El Paraíso in Ventanilla, Huacoy in Carabayllo and Garagay in San Martín de Porres date as far back as 2,000 till 1,000 years BC. The Lima culture from the period AD 150-650 left many remains as well, as did the Ichma culture from the period AD 1100-1450.

Many huacas are just barren terrains. Some not even protected by fences, causing them to be used as playgrounds and garbage dumps. There is still fear of invasions and being sold for construction, as is happening with the huaca Huacoy in Carabayllo.

Pirates or explorers, the Dutch presence in Peru in the 17th century

2009-06-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

From 1598 until 1648 the Dutch government had an active policy with reference to the viceroyalty of Peru. Several official expeditions were launched and the Dutch even tried to establish a colony on this side of South America. The objective was trade. The Dutch had recently established contact with Japan and were primarily interested in the East Indies, an area controlled by the Portuguese. But the West Indies were attractive as well. In the Spanish colony these Dutch were considered pirates and caused fear in the local population. For the colonial government it meant spending a lot of money into defense works and normal trade was disrupted, causing further loss of income.

The first expeditions in 1598 were lead by Jacob Mahu and Olivier van Noort with the aim to explore trading and settlement possibilities on the Spanish side of the Pacific Ocean. They were destined for the East Indies via a westerly route and took products with them to trade with the inhabitants of Peru. One of Mahu´s five ships was captured by the governor of Santiago and sent to Callao. The crew was sent as prisoners to Seville via Panama. Van Noort captured several merchant ships in the harbor of Valparaiso. He was the first Dutchman to sail around the world when he returned in 1601 in Rotterdam with a crew of only 45 out of the original 248. With these missions the Dutch found out about Indian hostility to the Spanish in south Chile and the poor defenses of most ports, including Arica. This triggered more Dutch expeditions.

Joris van Spielbergen (also named Georg Spielberg, born in Antwerp in 1568 and died in Bergen op Zoom in 1620) was the commander of a another Dutch expedition. He left the island of Texel in 1614 with 6 ships and 700 men. They defeated in 1615 a fleet near Cañete and raided smaller ports like Huaura, Huarmey, Paita and Manta, before heading east and completing the 5th circumnavigation of the globe in 1617.

In 1621 the West Indies Company was licensed by the Staten Generaal (the Dutch government) to attack Spanish ships as the Thirty Years War had just begun in Europe in 1618. They concentrated on the attack on Bahia in 1624. The East Indies Company supported in 1623 a fleet organized by stadhouder prince Maurits van Nassau and lead by Jacques l´Hermite with the aim to take the ports of Arica and Callao. Jacob de Klerk or Jacques l´Hermite, was probably of French Huguenot origin and lived in Rotterdam. He was born in 1582 and died in June 2nd 1624 on the island San Lorenzo in front of the Peruvian port city of Callao.

The fleet consisted of 11 ships and a crew of 1,637 persons. They left Amsterdam on April 29th 1623. February 1624 they spotted Cape Horn and were the first to use a new passage around Cape Horn. While going northwards they discovered and named several bays and islands: Bahía Nassau, Isla Hermite, Bahía Schapenham (after the vice admiral), Bahía Windhond (after a ship of the fleet) and Bahía Orange. The fleet tried to get water in Chincha and Pisco, but was attacked by Spanish ships. On May 9th the blockade of Callao started, but in the following days he was unable to disembark. He went north to see of Guayaquil had better opportunities, but returned to Callao. Already a sick man when he left Holland L´Hermite died on the island of San Lorenzo, where he is buried.

The Dutch lieutenant admiral Piet Hein was in 1628 the only one who managed to capture a Spanish silver fleet, which did a lot for his fame at home and abroad. With the bounty, 11,5 million guilders in gold, silver and other goods, the Dutch could pay for the retake of the city of Den Bosch in the Netherlands and the West Indies Company paid out that year a cash dividend of 50% to its shareholders. In 1643 the West Indies Company selected Valdivia for the founding of a Dutch colony and dispatched 5 ships and 600 men under Hendrick Brouwer. After two months they abandoned the plan because of difficulties obtaining food from the local population. This was the end of Dutch presence on the western side of South America. Which was confirmed in the 1648 peace treaty of Münster with Spain.

The pirates and especially L´Hermite caused so much fear in the local population that their fame is not forgotten. In 2004 a Peruvian cartoon movie called Piratas en el Callao was produced, which features Jacques l´Hermite. José Antonio Hudtwalcker Morán did excavations in the cemeteries of San Lorenzo and found a skeleton with a red beard. A Dutch pirate?

Pre-Hispanic nobility of Peru vanished, but not completely without a trace

2009-06-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

This article is about the indigenous nobility in Peru, the descendants of the former Inca rulers and rulers of the other kingdoms such as the Chimú. In the 1850-ies the last inca nobles with official positions in independent Peru died forgotten. Justo Sahuaraura Inca was in 1826 deputy of Aymaraes . He died in 1853, lonely and disappointed. José Domingo Choquehuanca Bejar was in 1835 prefect of Puno. He died in 1858. Both descended from Inca emperor Huayna Capac. In the beginning of the 19th century the indigenous Peruvian nobility disappeared, after having survived colonial rule for almost 300 years. What happened? And are there descendants still around?

The last Inca executed
When the Spanish conquistadores arrived in Peru in 1532 they encountered a country in turmoil. The civil war between the brothers Huascar and Atahualpa had just ended in favor of the latter. The empire which spanned an enormous surface was a creation of not more than 100 years by the emperors Pachacutec, Tupac Yupanqui and Huayna Capac, the father of Huascar and Atahualpa. Many peoples had been conquered or were still resisting being conquered. Royals of the Chimú, Huancas, Ichma and Aymara were incorporated in the imperial nobility.

The Spanish made good use of the differences between the people. Divided the country already was, and in a couple of years the Spanish ruled. In a small enclave in Vilcabamba Manco Capac II, another son of Huayna Capac, continued to rule as the Inca. But his son Tupac Amaru became the last ruler. He was executed by the Spanish viceroy in 1572. Other nobles supported the Spanish and already in the 1540-ies Carlos recognized the Inca nobility; the 15 sons of Cristóbal Paullu Inca, as well a son of Huayna Capac, were legitimized. Families received coats of arms in the European style. To increase the connection with Spain Beatriz Coya the granddaughter Manco Capac II was married around 1580 to a nephew of Ignacius of Loyola. Their daughter Ana Maria Lorenza de Loyola y Coya-Inca was created in 1614 the first Marquesa de Santiago de Oropesa. She and her descendants were the oldest line of descendants of Huayna Capac and in a way the representatives of the imperial line. Through several female successions the title ended up with the dukes of Medina de Rioseco and the last descendant died childless in 1741.

In 1776 a certain José Gabriel Condorcanqui Noguera, cacique (indigenous ruler) of Surimana in the province of Cusco applied for the title of Marqués de Santiago de Oropesa as being the closest living relative of Beatriz Coya. The mother of his greatgrandfather had been an illegitimate daughter of Tupac Amaru. He could even produce a document of the viceroy from 1618 confirming this. However there was another claimant Diego Felipe Betancur Tupac Amaru with a fabricated claim as a descendant of an illegitimate son of Manco Capac. After several years of litigation Diego Felipe was recognized in 1778 by the council of Inca Nobles as being the main descendant of Huayna Capac, although the title was never restored. José Gabriel became in 1780 the leader of a rebellion against Spanish rule and took the name Tupac Amaru II. The rebellion was suppressed and he with his wife and eldest son were publicly executed in the main square of Cusco in 1781. A younger son died in Rio de Janeiro in 1784 and his half brother Juan Bautista Condorcanqui Mojarras died as the last representative of this family in Buenos Aires in 1827. There had been some talks between him and the generals Belgrano and San Martín to put him on the throne of the United Provinces of South America.

The nobles lost their function and income
The Inca nobility was organized in so called panacas (families) per Inca emperor. Each emperor started a new panaca when he ascended the throne. As Huascar and Atahualpa did not have any male children the last panaca is that of Huayna Capac. As stated above there were in the 16th century numerous descendants of the Inca emperors. Many had the function of cacique. This is the Spanish term for curaca, or local ruler. These functions became more or less hereditary in the noble indigenous families. Their main connection was not to land however, as in European feudal titles, but to people. The indigenous population had to work for the Spanish; on the haciendas and in the mines. And tribute had to be paid. The caciques had to arrange this. They were the middlemen. Not an enviable position. In the first century of colonial rule the indigenous elite managed to keep their position, but in time the Indian population declined through disease and the Spanish/criollo/mestizo population became more and more important. In the 18th century there were more marriages between the groups as the cacical families adapted to this new development and tried to maintain their position. They became hispanized. And they became tribute collecting agencies, losing the connection with the indigenous population. Many descended into poverty as they had to squeeze their budgets to pay tribute and to keep up their style of living. Although the Inca nobles in Cusco with their impeccable bloodlines descending in the male line from Tupac Yupanqui and Huayna Capac regarded Tupac Amaru as a second rate Inca being a mestizo from the provinces they got the blame afterwards. They supported the Spanish crown, knowing that the future of their position lay with the king in Europe, not with a freedom movement of the new middle classes in Peru. The crown however did not appreciate this and the position of cacique lost its hereditary status. The final blow for the nobility came in 1824 when Bolivar abolished this function and when he made private property leading. The Indigenous groups were more connected to communal properties and had much less property rights. So they lost their jobs and their income. After that being Indian and poor were synonymous.

One of the most important families in Cusco were the Ramos Tito Atauchi. They descended in the male line from Cristóbal Paullu Inca, son of Huayna Capac. Ascensio Ramos Tito Atauchi was Cacique of the Ayllu Ninancuyuchi and the Ayllu Collana de Santa Ana in Cusco and had an estate worth of 10,000 pesos in houses, furnishings, debts, clothing, silver, jewelry and some agricultural lands when he died in 1750. One of his daughters married Nicolás Apu Sahuaraura Inca, Cacique hereditario of the Ayllu Cachona de Santiago, a descendant of emperor Pachacutec. Their son Pedro married Sebastiana Bustinza Inca y Yaurac de Ariza Titu Condemayta, whose father descended from a daughter of Huayna Capac that had married conquistador Pedro de Bustinza and whose mother was a descendant of emperor Mayta Capac. One of their children was priest Justo Sahuaraura Inca, born in Cusco in 1775. He supported the independence and became a deputy in 1826. This was however the time of the big haciendados that now owned the country. There was no place anymore for Inca nobles. He died in 1853, having legitimized in 1838 his five children. His relative Luis Ramos Tito Atauchi , a lawyer in Cusco, dropped the last two parts of his surname. They did not have any use anymore and the family continued as simply Ramos.

Another son of Huayna Capac; Cristóbal Huaca Tupac Inca moved to the former Aymara lands around Puno as part of Inca control of this area. His descendants are the Choquehuanca family of caciques of Azángaro. In 1780 Diego Choquehuanca Huanca Tupac Inca was cacique of Azángaro. His eldest son Blas was married to the daughter of the cacique of Carabuco, his second son Gregorio was a priest and his daughter Maria Teresa was cacica in her own right. His niece Manuela Ccopa Condori Choquehuanca was married to Pedro Vilcapasa Alarcón a general of Tupac Amaru. The rest of the family supported the colonial government. The eldest son was murdered together with the family of his wife by the rebels in 1781. José Domingo Choquehuanca Bejar was born in 1789 or 1792 as the son of Gregorio, the priest. He was a lawyer and supported the independence. In 1835 he was prefect of Puno. José Domingo Choquehuanca Borda, who died April 2009 in Arequipa, is supposed to be his direct descendant. José Domingo nicknamed El Cholo was very active in the support for medium and small enterprises in Arequipa and in the support for the pueblos jóvenes around the city.A brother of Huayna Capac and son of Tupac Yupanqui, Felipe Tupac Yupanqui also moved to Aymara lands in the process of controlling these. He became cacique of Pacajes. His descendants became the Cusicanqui caciques of Calacoto. Their descendants are till today traceable in Bolivia.

Heirs of Chimú kings continue as caciques
Around 1470 Tupac Yupanqui conquered the Chimú kingdom in the northern coastal area of Peru. The last king was taken hostage and his son Chumun-caur was made governor of the area. Several of his descendants were rulers when the Spanish arrived. One of them was Antonio Chayhuac, who became the first Christian cacique of Mansiche and Huanchaco. The Chayhuac family ruled these towns until 1805. In 1749 was Domingo Chayhuac Huamansep cacique. He was married to Maria Urbana del Espiritu Santo Santillán y Casamusa, the daughter of the cacique of Magdalena near Lima, showing that these cacical families married on the same level over big distances, as European royals. His granddaughter Juana Manuela Chayhuac y Céspedes Tito Inca Yupanqui was the last cacica as she died childless in 1805/06. Other descendants of Chumun-caur ended up as caciques of Santiago de Cao, Chocopa and Chicama. Their last title holder was Gregorio de Mora Chimo who died in 1780. His descendants kept up legal actions deep into the 19th century to claim property rights in the former cacicazgo. The last known representative was Evaristo Aguilar Mora Chimo in 1892.

Descendant of Aymara cacique Bolivian mayor
The Aymara were living in several kingdoms that were conquered by Pachacutec and Tupac Yupanqui during the fifteenth century. The rulers of the Charcas, now central Bolivia (Sucre), became the Ayaviri family of caciques of Sacaca. At the end of the sixteenth century Fernando Ayaviri and his son Juan even became mayors of the indigenous population of the important mining center Potosi. By the end of the 18th century this family had faded away. This happened as well with the former royal families of the Lupaqa kingdom; the Cari and Cusi dynasties. The Cari became caciques of Chucuito with the surname Cutimbe. Around 1750 Basilio Cutimbe renounced his position of cacique, he preferred being a bookkeeper in Carangas. The story of the Siñani caciques of Carabuco is a different one, as the direct male line descendant of Juan Siñani who lived around 1600, has been mayor of Bolivian town El Alto in our times. A nephew of cacique Agustin Siñani, who was killed in 1781 together with his son in law Blas Choquehuanca, Diego Siñani married Paula Paredes y Ponce Santella. Their son Apolinar took the surname of his mother Paredes. His grandson was the Bolivian writer and historian Manuel Rigoberto Paredes Iturri (1870-1950). His grandson José Luis (Pepe Lucho) Paredes Muñoz (born 1956) served twice as mayor of El Alto for the MIR party.

Peruvian nobility today

2009-06-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

Nobility in Peru. It seems an incongruous combination, as nobility is more connected to the old world than the new one. Which is also true in one way, as the present nobility in Peru is of old world origin. In the colonial times noble titles where created in Peru for persons who distinguished themselves. An overview of all these titles can be found in edition 21 of the Revista del Instituto Peruano de Investigaciones Genealogicas from 1995. In 1823 after the independence Bolivar abolished the nobility, as being an undesired aspect of the former Spanish colonial rule. Many titles that had been created in Peru moved with their holders to Spain and are now held in that country.

However during the 20th century several Peruvian descendants of the old colonial families applied in Spain for rehabilitation of their hereditary titles and were granted them. And even now in the 21st century, almost 200 years since independence, claimants petition for their ancestral titles.

Present titles held in Peru:
Francisco Javier Mendoza Benavides, since 12-4-2000 6.Marqués de Casa Boza * Lima ..-6-1954 (title created 1736, rehabilitated 1930)

José Manuel Pardo Paredes, since 16-5-2002 7.Marqués de Fuentehermosa de Miranda * Lima 22-8-1947 ( created 1761, rehabilitated 1893 and 1994). His father inherited the beautiful Quinta Heeren in Barrios Altos in Lima. The Quinta Heeren housed in the beginning of the 20th century several embassies.

Manuel Gastañeta Carrillo de Albornoz, since 7-2-1996 9.Marqués de Montealegre de Aulestia * 21-7-1956 (1737, 1918) . He is a lawyer; http://www.garciasayan.com/detabogado.php?idabogado=21.

Fernando Carlos Leopoldo de Trazegnies Granda, since 9-1-1982 4.Marqués de Torrebermeja * Lima 3-9-1935 (1727, 1952). He is professor of law and was foreign minister of Peru 1998-2000; http://works.bepress.com/fernando_de_trazegnies_granda/.

José Agustín de Aliaga Fernandini, since 24-7-1996 8.Marqués de Zelada de la Fuente * … (1688, 1958). A descendant of the conquistador Jerónimo de Aliaga, companion of Pizarro during the conquest of Peru in the 1530´s. His mother belonged to the important industrial Fernandini family. One of his positions is director of Sociedad Minera el Brocal S.A.A.

Alejandro Yrigoyen Elejalde, since 4-10-1995 5.Conde de Alastaya * Lima 17-10-1960 (1769, 1982). Architect and joint director of Rey + Yrigoyen S.R.L.

Fernando Carlos Leopoldo de Trazegnies Granda, since 14-9-1984 6.Conde de las Lagunas * Lima 3-9-1935 (1715, 1984). See above.

José Guillermo Gastañeta Carrillo de Albornoz, since 23-12-2004 9.Conde de Monteblanco * 9-7-1946 (1755, 1913). Working for government organisation COFOPRI, Organismo de Formalización de la Propiedad Informal.

María Josefa González de Orbegoso Alvarado, since 14-11-1984 7.Condesa de Olmos * … (1690, 1905)

Gonzalo Jorge de Aliaga Ascenzo, since 12-3-2004 8.Conde de San Juan de Lurigancho * 6-9-1947 (1695, 1958). Descendant of the conquistador Jerónimo de Aliaga, companion of Pizarro during the conquest of Peru. He still owns and lives in the Casa Aliaga in the centre of Lima.

Apart from persons with the Spanish noble titles titled foreigners have moved to Peru and now live here. Especially Polish nobles found in Peru a new home. The most known of these are the count and countess Potocki of the family that once owned Łańcut, one of the most luxurious castles of Europe. Stanislaw Potocki and his wife Rosa Susanna Larco de la Fuente frequent regularly the society columns. Rosa was first married to an uncle of the present Conde de Alastaya.

Another well known Polish aristocrat living in Peru is Maria Rostworowska, although not for society reasons but for her groundbreaking work as a historian. Her father Jan Jacek Rostworowski married Peruvian Rita de Tovar del Valle. Maria was first married in Poland to count Zygmunt Broel-Plater and after their divorce in Peru with Alejandro Diez Canseco Coronel Zegarra, a relative as well of the Conde de Alastaya.

Apart from Eastern European émigrés, a grandson of the last German emperor, Prince Franz Joseph of Prussia married in 1959 in Lima as his third wife Eva Herrera Valdeavellano. Thus the future pretender to the imperial Russian throne, Georgi Romanov, who is the son of Franz Joseph´s eldest son and the present Russian pretender Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, has two Peruvian aunts.

Another German nobleman settled in the beginning of the 19th century in Peru: Clemens Anton Freiherr von Althaus. He was the illegitimate son of the countess regent of Schaumburg-Lippe and Clement August von Kaas. He was first an officer in the army of the kingdom of Hanover and moved to Peru in 1820. In Arequipa he married in 1826 a cousin of the writer Flora Tristan. Their descendants still live in Peru.

As stated in the first paragraph the present Peruvian nobility is of old world origin. Until the beginning of the 19th century however there used to be an indigenous nobility as well, which vanished completely. The next story in this blog will be of the old Peruvian nobility. The descendants of the Incas and of the pre Inca royalty, who maintained a certain position until the independence of Peru.

In Carabayllo ever expanding Lima is devouring the countryside

2009-04-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Lima – 18 april 2009 – In the north of Lima, the district of Carabayllo, the city is expanding quickly. The agricultural land is divided into parcels and sold. A large part of the district is still agricultural land surrounding the river Chillón, but the city is rapidly advancing to house its ever growing number of inhabitants. In 1961 the country had 10 million inhabitants of which 1.8 lived in Lima (18%). According to the last census of 2007 Lima Metropolitana has a population of 8.5 million on a total of 27.4 million (31%). There are two main developments regarding construction: the city is spreading in the outlying districts and the city is exchanging single houses for apartment buildings in the central districts.

During these last 40 years millions of people have come from the countryside to Lima looking for a better life, safety from earthquakes and the terrorism of Shining Path in the 80-ies and 90-ies. In this period the migrants invaded the land and built their dwellings. Those urbanizations have been more or less legalized. Individuals, private companies and the government are now constructing houses in Carabayllo. You see streets lined with kiosks selling parcels of land for as much as 60 US dollars. But established real estate agents as Alfredo Graf are selling terrains as well, 120 square meters in the urbanización Santo Domingo in Carabayllo costs now 25,000 dollars.

Historical heritage in grave danger

With the advance of city the cultural heritage is severely under pressure. The area with the huaca Huacoy in Carabayllo, a unique U shaped temple dating from 1,500 years before Christ, is already divided into parcels and up for sale. A sign even says: lotes en oferta! Carabayllo is one of the poorest areas of Lima and the local government does not have money for the historical sites. Of which there are a lot: several huacas, a big defensive wall from the Colli lordship of around 1,100 AD and haciendas. Haciendas with a history. In the hacienda Santiago de Punchauca viceroy de La Serna met on June 2nd 1821 the leader of the Independence armies general San Martín to talk about a peaceful transition. San Martín proposed a constitutional monarchy under a Borbon prince from Spain. De La Serna was appointed by his generals and consulted them. They did not see anything in the plan, as they still hoped to win the war. Now Punchauca is falling apart and is being used as a public toilet.

Shifting worldwide demand leads to growing cocaine production in Peru

2009-04-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

Lima – 6 april 2009 – The coca leaf producing areas in Peru have since 2003 increased by almost 9.000 hectares to 53,700 hectares. Out of these leaves approx. 260 metric tonnes of cocaine are being produced. Apart from the traditional coca producing areas in the valleys of the rivers Apurímac and Ene and the Upper Hualaga valley, in 13 other areas the coca production has risen as well according to narco specialist Jaime Antezana in an article in newspaper El Comercio of April 6th 2009. Peru is now not only producing coca paste, but the refined product as well. Antezana states that the Mexican drug cartels control the Peruvian production and that drug traffickers are financing political campaigns. Almost the total production is destined for export to the largest market the United States, although more and more is going to the growing markets in the region; Chile, Brazil and Argentina, and Europe, where especially in Spain and the UK cocaine consumption is booming. Prices of cocaine have plunged in recent years and during the presentation of their 2008 report the International Narcotics Control Board said prices would continue to fall unless the supply was curtailed.

There are no exact data regarding the world market for cocaine, but the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes estimates a production of 994 metric tonnes of pure cocaine in 2008. With an average purity of 85% this would amount to ca. 1,200 tonnes of wholesale cocaine. Of which 760 tonnes were seized in 2008, making the consumed quantity around 400 tonnes. When cut with other products to a purity of 40% this would make 850 tonnes retail cocaine. Based on European retail prices from 50 to 75 euro per gram in 2008, the retail value would be more than 50 billion euro. The largest consumer of cocaine is the United States with a volume of around 400 metric tonnes, with New York as the Capital of Coke. But consumption in the US is stabilizing to decreasing, due to massive efforts of the government to keep the drug out. Simplistically put, the decrease in the exports to the US and tighter control in the production countries leads to higher consumption in the countries where cocaine is being transported, like Mexico, and countries close to the producing countries, like Chile, Brazil and Argentina, as product is widely available and thus relatively cheap.

In Brazil and Argentina cocaine consumption is growing fast, due to porous borders with the producing countries, economic hardship and rising production. The countries have become the dumping ground for cheap, low quality cocaine. Coca paste is cheaper than a loaf of bread. As is paco, a highly addictive smokable cocaine residue, which has become the dominant drug in the poor neighborhoods of the Argentinean cities, leading to a surge in violence. In Brazil the quantity seized by the police of coca paste to make crack quadrupled between 2006 and 2007.

Cocaine use made acceptable by Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse

In Europe most cocaine is consumed in the UK and Spain, followed by Italy, Ireland and Denmark, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCD). In the UK and Spain consumption has grown fourfold in the last decade. The UK has recorded the highest number of cocaine users in the EU for the fifth year running. The annual figures show that 7.7 per cent of Britons aged 15-64 have taken cocaine - rising to 11.2 per cent for the 15-24 age group and 12.7 per cent for the those aged between 15 and 34. In each category Spain is second (7 per cent, 8.7 per cent and 9.6 per cent respectively) and Ireland fourth (5.3 per cent, 7 per cent and 8.2 per cent). In the UK cocaine used to be a drug for the higher classes, but now a line costs around £ 1, made acceptable by style icons as Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse.

New distribution routes have sprung up. Europe is supplied mainly by sea through the Caribbean, but a growing part is arriving through West African countries in the Gulf of Guinea. The trade over this route is growing so fast that the 10th latitude corridor connecting the continents has been dubbed ´Interstate 10´, according to an article in The Guardian of March 13th 2009. The Balkans are a new route as well, a route that was until a few years ago only used for transporting heroin. Most drugs transported over sea arrive in Portugal, Spain and Ireland. The Netherlands and France are the most important transit countries for air distribution states the 2008 report of the EMCD. A new ´shot gun´ approach is used to transport cocaine by air in the body by employing many persons, to make the chance they get through higher. Reducing people to human containers.

Mexican drug related spiral of violence and criminality spins out of control

Mexico is the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America, with an estimated 90% of annual cocaine movements toward the US stopping in Mexico. Of this 65% is transported over land to southern California, Arizona and Texas by so called ´mules´ with the drugs hidden in bags or in the body. The other part is transported over sea and arrives in the US through Florida. There is a labyrinth of smuggling routes through the Caribbean, Bahamas and southern Florida with airdrops, mid-ocean boat to boat transfers and commercial shipments through Miami. Seven families control the majority of drug trafficking throughout the country. The last years it has become more difficult to enter the US, resulting in more cocaine that stays in Mexico. In 2008 5,567 people where executed in drug related violence, compared to 2,800 in 2007. And in the first 2 months of this year already 1,000 people died in drug related spiral of violence and criminality. According to Vanda Felbab-Brown of Brookings Institute this level of violence is an aberration and a clear sign that the market is very unstable.

Peruvian cocaine trade dominated by Mexican cartels

Coca is grown in only three countries; Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. In the latter two countries coca leaf is an ancient product that always has been consumed and still is used today to chew and as tea to suppress hunger and fatigue and against altitude sickness. In Colombia this tradition does not exist. Colombia took the role from Peru as the largest coca producer in the 90-ies and has a share of 62% in total coca production. Peru produces 25% and Bolivia 13% according to data from the CIA World Factbook. Although large areas have been destroyed in Colombia, more new fields have been taken into production, as Colombia was mainly responsible for the growth of the production in 2008 with an increase of 27% in coca producing areas. Although with a low yield at the moment. In Peru and Bolivia production increased with 4-5%. Colombian cocaine has the highest quality and is mainly exported to the western markets. Bolivian cocaine is of low quality and is consumed in the region in the form of coca paste and paco, mainly in Brazil and Argentina, where cocaine consumption is growing fast.

According to Antezana the Colombian mafia has lost control of the Peruvian market and sold partly out. He says the transport over sea from Piura, Chimbote and Callao is controlled by the Mexican cartels and near the borders the different mafias of the neighboring countries are in control. There are no Peruvians controlling this trade, but they work for the foreigners. Money laundering makes persons with apparent humble businesses own grand houses, 4x4 cars and constructing new buildings. Real estate has always been an easy channel for drug money. There are executions, but not on a large scale. Rómulo Pizarro, head of Peruvian anti drug organization Devida says in El Pais of February 18th 2009 that Peru is very far from the levels of violence in Mexico or Colombia. Although US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) claims that the Mexican Sinaloa cartel controls 80% of the cocaine production in Peru.

Sources:

Brookings Institute, Vanda Felbab-Brown March 2009 The Violent Drug Market in Mexico and Lessons from Colombia
CIA World Factbook 2009
El Comercio 3.10.2008 Entrevista a Jaime Antezana: 'El narcotráfico está instalado en Puno'
El Comercio 06.04.2009 Narcotráfico tiene nuevo rostro en el país
El Pais 18.2.2009 Auge de la 'narcoviolencia' en Perú
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCD) Report 2008
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Report 2008
The Guardian 13.3.2009
The New York Times 28.2.2008 Cheap cocaine floods Argentina, devouring lives
World Drug Report 2008

A rococo palace in the middle of the rubble

2009-03-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

In the district of Rimac in Lima you can find a surprising building: the Quinta de Presa. A building in French rococo style, although it is now very deteriorated. The best way to go here is with a taxi, as it is not very close to the bridge. To go walking is also a bit off putting, as women warn you from their windows to go away, that it is dangerous here. The building is already since 1920 property of the state and since that time designated to become a museum for colonial art. Unfortunately that is still the plan, more than 8o years later. That is probaly not going to happen soon, as the building is very far from any touristic route and much has to be done to restore it. But it is a wonderful building, with an interesting story.

The first mentioning of the area, where the Quinta de Presa is now standing, was in 1690. In that year a flour mill, house and vineyard were sold by Martín Arías del Castillo to José Blanco Rejón. In 1696 his widow Sebastiana Ramos Galván sold the property to Juan Bautista de la Rigada. He died in 1706. Two years later Sebastiana sold the mill to Juan Bautista Palacios. Apparently it had reverted back to her upon the death of Señor de la Rigada. Juan Bautista Palacios was married to Doña Isabel Carrillo de Albornoz y de la Presa, sister of the first Duque de Montemar and the fourth Conde de Montemar. The couple did not have any children and after the death of Juan Bautista his widow became owner of the mill.

In her will of February 28th 1765 Doña Isabel bequeathed “el Molino de Polvora en el calle de Molambo” to her nephew Don Pedro Carrillo de Albornoz y Bravo de Laguna (* 9-11-1734 + 26-6-1798). Pedro was colonel of the militia of the regiment of the Villa de Huaura, north of Lima, where he owned the haciendas Vilcahuara and San Ildefonso de Huaito. He constructed the present day palace, although the exact date of construction is unknown. Pedro was married to Doña Maria Josefa Petronila de Salazar y Gaviño (* 1748 + ..-4-1825), daughter of Don Agustín de Salazar y Muñatones, Conde de Monteblanco and owner of among others the hacienda San José in Chincha, and Maria Francisca Gaviño y Riañon. She remarried in 1802 Domingo de Orué y Mirones and lived with him on the hacienda Vilcahuara.

Don Pedro Carrillo de Albornoz y Bravo de Laguna died June 26th 1798. The day before he had made his last will in which his only child, a daughter, inherited all his possessions, including “ los de molina de arina y casa Huerta”. The name Quinta de Presa was only mentioned for the first time in 1829. For the valuation of the inheritance and inventory was made of his goods. In February 1799 the Molina was valued at 110.029 pesos and the garden and huerta at 12.467 pesos. Houses in the calle Molambo were part of the inheritance. The daughter, Doña Maria Josefa Carrillo de Albornoz y Salazar, was married in 1789 to a cousin Don Gaspar Carrillo de Albornoz y Vega Cruzat, son of the Marquesa de Feria. She was probably mentally backward, as her mother made a will in her name on October 24th 1829. In which some cousins were named as heirs. In this will the following is mentioned: “la Quinta de esta Capital que llama de Presa”. She died November 5th 1829. Her will was not carried out, as an uncle Juan Antonio Carrillo de Albornoz y Bravo de Laguna took over and willed the property to another cousin: Doña Maria de la Puente y Carrillo de Albornoz.

The following decades are spent by litigations of the will of Doña Maria Josefa by Doña Maria. Finally on November 17th 1842 the hacienda Vilcahuara and the Quinta o Huerta de Presa y casas en la calle de la Merced y de San Juan become possessions of Doña Maria. She and her daughter sell the finca Quinta de Presa on January 17th 1846 to José Herouard. At that time the house was between the Casa y Huerta owned by the heirs of Don José de Agüero and the Casa y Huerta known as “London”. It passed several times to other owners until it was bought on May 31st 1920 by the state with the aim to house a museum for colonial art.

Principal source: “El inventario de la Quinta de Presa” by Ella Dunbar Temple, Revista de la Sociedad Peruana de Historia, Lima, 1948

The sore points of Apurímac

2009-03-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

Abancay – 2 March 2009 – Since February I work two days a week for a NGO (Non Governmental Organization) Asociación Pro Desarrollo Perú Vida “APRODE PERÚ”.This is a small Peruvian NGO with projects in the poorest areas of the country. End of February we were in the region Apurimac to sign partnerships with two districts, Pacobamba and Huancarama. Apurímac is one of he poorest regions of Peru; in 2007 69.5% of the population lived in poverty according to government data (only Huancavelica has a higher percentage: 85.7%). The population of less than half a million inhabitants is largely of Indian origin. They live of small scale agriculture and animal husbandry. The capital is Abancay. The country side is magnificent: green in all shades, high mountains, deep ravines, a patchwork of fields on the sides of the mountains. The recently excavated Inca city Choquequirao, sister city of Macchu Picchu, lies to the north of Abancay in the region of Cuzco. In Apurímac there are many ruins of the Chanka´s and Inca´s and of course native andean forests with bears. Very little tourists visit the area, as there is hardly any touristic infrastructure.

Only with the nightbus you can reach Abancay. This takes 18 hours. From Lima first six hours south through the desert to Ica and Nazca, then west into the mountains. The journey is very exciting as the road goes up through snowy mountains and then down in many curves and turns to the valley of Abancay. You arrive with a headache of the altitude and nauseous. From Abancay it´s one and a half hour on dirt roads to Huancarama and two hours to Pacobamba. Both the mayor of Huancarama and Pacobamba signed the partnerships with APRODE. The first step will be an investigation of the actual situation regarding education, health, work, culture etc. as a diagnostic. Based on this proposals for projects will be made. Two volunteers, a Peruvian and a French, have started the investigation in Pacobamba. During March one will start in Huancarama as well. Partnership with the local authorities and the population is essential to make projects succeed.

Huancarama is a district with almost 8.000 inhabitants and 25 villages. No other NGO´s are active, as are in other districts. They have contacted Spanish, Belgian and German organizations, but without results. The population is poor and speaks predominantly quechua. On average a family owns one cow, a couple of pigs and some chickens. On little fields (chacra´s) they produce corn and potatoes. They live in houses of mud (adobe). The water supply is a problem, as it rains only three months per year and there are hardly any reservoirs. The health situation of the population and the especially the children is bad, as the eggs and milk they produce is being sold and rice is being bought, leading to deficiency in nutrients, as calcium, iron and other minerals and proteins. To guarantee a better care for children, the national government initiated the Wawa Wasi programme, where children aged 6 months to 4 years are being taken care of, while their parents work their chacra´s. A madre-cuidadora is responsible for a maximum of 8 children. The children get attention and food. Huancarama has 5 wawa wasi´s, which are in a problem as the government has withdrawn it´s financial support caused by budget reductions due to the global financial crisis. Pacobamba has no less than 40! Wawa wasi´s are made possible by joint efforts of the local authorities, the national government and NGO´s.

In Pacobamba (7.000 inhabitants) Gladys Cari, medic at the local Centro de Salud, tells that the biggest health problem is parasitosis, approximately 80-90% of the population has parasites. She has medication, but the food is not properly prepared, the water is contaminated, the people sleep all together in one room and there is insufficient hygiene. The second problem is alcoholism, leading to domestic violence and children that are not properly being taken care of. Young people leave for cities as Abancay and Lima, don´t get work as well and start using drugs. A depressing situation. The landscape is truly wonderful, but the way the people live in their villages is like a festering sore. It´s not only lack of money, but much more of education and dignity.

Romulo Pedrasa, from 2003 till 2006 mayor of Pacobamba, and one of the initiators of the partnership and of starting projects, tells that there is a kind of resistance in the population against change and to do things as they see fit. The people are very introverted. Until the agrarian reform of 1970 the whole area was part of one hacienda of the family Altamirano. Romulo´s father was manager there. Agriculture and animal husbandry were much more professional in those days, but the population was employed and did not get a wage, only food and clothing. With the reforms, the land became property of the community and everybody got a part to work on and a part of the animals. Resulting in disintegration and less professionality. Juan Carlos Flores, a young agriculturalist from Pacobamba, wants to breed better cattle and produce dairy products more professionally. But for that the people have to work together. According to Juan Carlos that will be a challenge as the ego´s can be rather big in Peru.

A lot has to be done in these communities, as according to Pedrasa every month 45-50 persons leave Pacobamba to find their happiness elsewhere. In a way the situation was clear when we arrived in Huancarama: little children were shitting near the road. The guest house where we were staying did not have a shower and only a tap with cold water in the patio. No toilet paper and soap to be found. Neither in the restaurants. Luckily you could by it in the little shops. Basic hygiene, education and health care is essential. People should take better care of themselves. With introduction of some new crops that make more money and cooperation on further processed products (fair trade) the people in this area should get a higher income. The present way of living is not really suitable for the 21st century.

Orphanage Santa Maria is a home for 130 boys

2009-03-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

Lima – 24 February 2009 – Today I visited with a friend the orphanage Santa Maria in San Juan de Miraflores, a poor area in the south west part of the city. The orphanage is a private initiative of an American and his Peruvian wife. They started this orphanage 20 years ago and at the moment it has around 130 boys in the age of 6 till 18. The government gave them the land, which was at that time desert. Now it is a quiet oasis in a see of little houses.

The last years 30 till 40 new kids arrive each year, in the past this number was around 15. This shows that at least for this orphanage the growth of the economy does not really results in a better position for the most poor in the country. Although it´s just one example. The children have to be 6 years old to be accepted, because there are no facilities for younger kids. Last year an exception was made for a disabled boy of 4 years old, because no other institution wanted to have him. Two thirds of the children is brought by a relative, either a father or mother or an aunt or grandmother. Their families are too poor to take care of them themselves. The other third of the children has no relatives at all, they don´t even know their names when they arrive.

For the management it´s quite a challenge to teach the children order, discipline and a feeling of being at home. Because this is what matters at Santa Maria. The children get up at half past six. At seven they have breakfast and after that they go to school, which in Peru is from eight till one. Neatly dressed in their uniforms. After that they come home, have lunch and do their chores. Every boy has his own chore; this can be feeding the animals, cleaning the room or folding the laundry. They all fulfill a necessary role. At 4 o´clock it´s time for homework. After that dinner. The youngest boys (6-9 years old) go to bed at seven. For the eldest the light goes out at ten. This is the weekly program. Saturday they have more chores, can watch tv and go to mass. On Sunday the ones who have relatives visit those, the others are free to play, watch tv etc. The management consists of three men in their twenties, early thirties. They aim to create an attentive atmosphere, not too distant.

The donations form the income of the orphanage. Only the school uniforms and school expenses cost each year 15.000 soles (ca. 5.000 dollar). They collect second hand clothes. An NGO or private person finances a school room with computers or a kitchen. The older kids and the boys that leave the orphanage work in so called traperia, where old stuff is being recycled. The income is for the orphanage. This pays the daily expenses on food etc. The dormitories should be rebuilt as they have no fundaments, but for the moment there is no money for that.

It is rather touching, to be showed around the area and visit the dormitories, washing rooms, school rooms, housing of the animals and feel a warm little hand wanting to hold yours. Some children don´t want to leave the orphanage when they´ve turned 18. This is all they know and where they are secure. But they have to lead their own life, to find work, get married and have families of their own. Hopefully their situation is better than that of their parents, so their children don´t have to go to an orphanage.

New Years Eve with Grupo 5 in Los Olivos

2009-02-22T17:06:00.001-08:00

Lima - 1 January 2009 – Last year we spent New Years Eve in the last remaing villa (Victor Delfins studio) along the ocean side in Barranco. So this year we went to another part of Lima: Los Olivos. This is a district in the north of the city and is the centre of the so called Cono Norte, the former slums built in the 60-ies and 70-ies by the migrants from the Andes and that form now the buzzing heart of Lima Emergente.

In the estadio Guadalupano in Los Olivos Grupo 5, the most popular Peruvian cumbia band, organised a new years eve party. To get there we took at nine o´clock a ramshackle micro bus from Miraflores to the centre of Lima. There we boarded an even older bigger bus bound to the north of the city. At Plaza Vea in Independencia we took a taxi for the last part of the journey and arrived half past ten. De stadium was already half full and as a warm up a local boy band was playing.

At half past eleven the guys from Grupo 5 came on stage. Dressed in their customary suits. They played all the famous songs. Cumbia is the Peruvian popular music, where there is a lot of crying (llorando) and suffering(sufriendo) in the songs with an uptempo beat based on percussion, trumpets, trombones and drums. Cumbia origines at the Colombian atlantic coast as a fusion of Spanish and African elements. Originally it had only percussion and song. The chicha culture of the migrants in the Peruvian slums added trumpets, trombones and keyboards.

Grupo 5 exists 35 years and is based in Chiclayo in the north of Peru. Since their start a new generation has formed part of the group. Around twelve o´clock the stadium was completely full with several thousand people. Dancing and drinking beer (no other drink was available). At 2 o´clock we left. The most important cumbia hits of the past year are: Grupo 5 with Me olvidé de tu amor, Hermanos Yaipen with A llorar a otra parte, Orquestra Papillon from Tarapoto with the present number one El Payaso and Caña Brava with Sueño.

The youtubelinks::
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=WgcbEu2b0Uo
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=qu7pmeH9b6c
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=wfqjaC10WeE
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=OUsjlaDxLn0

First Peruvian Feria Gastronomica big success

2009-02-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

Lima – 28 September 2008 - Today ended the three day Feria Internacional Gastronómica de Lima under the name Perú Mucho Gusto. Approximately 25.000 people visited this gastronomy spectacle in the Cuartel San Martín in the district of Miraflores in the Peruvian capital. As the days before, this day showed long queues in the nearby streets.

With this event and of course her cuisine Peru is lining up with gastronomical heavy weights as Italy, France and China. According to Spanish chef Bruno Oteiza, whose Mexican restaurant Biko is number 89 on the San Pellegrino top 100 of best restaurants in the world, this event can be compared to the Salone del Gusto of Slowfood in Turin. According to him the most distinctive elements in the Peruvian cuisine are the freshness and originality of the ingredients. He names corn (choclo) and the wide variety of potatoes in Peru as the most important products. Gastón Acurio, the most famous Peruvian chef, thinks however that aji (peppers) are the most characteristic element in the Peruvian cuisine.

The word most appropriate for Peruvian food is fusion. The traditional Peruvian food developed in the sixteenth and seventeenth century by mixing native products – potatoes, aji, corn – with products that were introduced by the Spaniards, like beef and milk. A well known creole dish is for instance papa a la huancaína (cooked yellow potatoes with a sauce of aji amarillo, fresh cheese, oil and evaporated milk). The African slaves had influence on the cuisine as well, especially in the region around Chincha, as had the Chinese, who arrived in the nineteenth century. A typical black dish is anticucho (fried heart). In lomo saltado (fried beef, onions and tomatoe with fried potatoes and rice) you can recognise the Chinese stirfrying influence.

The last decades Peruvian food has undergone a development that made it rise above being a combination of folkloristic dishes. Orginal products and recipes were prepared in a new way, often in combination with other national products, for instance from the Amazon jungle. This makes it a real cuisine. Every region has its specialities, but Lima has become the capital of the Peruvian cuisine, with many toprestaurants. Nowadays those restaurants are looking for expansion outside Peru.

Back to the feria. This consisted of a central square where several Limenian restuarants presented themselves. Grouped around them were stands with traditional dishes, like antichuco and cebiche. Behind then was a big hall with products from all regions of Peru, with ample opportunity to try and taste everything. During these three days there where several congresses and and a competion among young chefs.

All Souls in San Juan de Lurigancho

2009-02-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

Lima - 2 November 2008 – San Juan de Lurigancho, in the north east of Lima, is the most densely populated district of Lima and of Peru with more than 1 million inhabitants living on 131 square kilometers. All Souls and All Saints are celebrated extensively in Peru. Most Peruvians visit cemeteries to spend these days with their deceased relatives.

There is a big difference between the official cemeteries and the illegal ones. In the inofficial ones you can drink beer, eat, make music etc. Bands of musicians go around and play on request the favorite songs of the deceased person. In the offical ones it´s a bit more quiet. At the moment El Sauce is being transformed into an official cemetery. Three brothers were sitting near the graves of their parents drinking beer and commemorating. They told that here it was rather quiet, in the villages in the Andes people would bring food and everybody would share.

In the 20-ies the first persons were buried at El Sauce, when this area was part of a hacienda of the Nicolini family. These were workers of the hacienda. The growing immigration of people of the countryside to Lima, not only resulted in a dense population in San Juan de Lurigancho, but as well to a very populated cemetery. From a far you can see the signs, as many little shops are located in the vicinity, catering to the visitors.

Casa Aliaga gives a glimpse of 18th century Lima

2009-02-12T19:25:00.000-08:00

Lima - 17 January 2009 - Casa Aliaga is the only colonial house in the centre of Lima that has been occupied without interruptions by the same family since the foundation of Lima as capital of the Spanish colony in 1535. The builder and first owner was conquistador Jerónimo de Aliaga (1508-1569), a companion of Pizarro. The house and the family have survived earthquakes, uprisings, invasions, military dictatorships, terrorism and consumerism.

It is the only house in the old centre that gives an idea how Lima has been in the 18th and 19th century, when it was a stylish aristocratic centre. All other members of the elite abandoned the centre of Lima in the 60-ies and and 70-ies and let it grow dilapidated and almost collapse, while they found safe havens behind high walls in Miraflores, San Isidro and La Molina. The house is situated in Jirón de la Unión opposite the presidential palace, the former residence of the Viceroys of Peru. It is built on the remains of a huaca (temple), as are all the other important buildings from the beginnings of the colonial period, as the cathedral, presidential palace etc. When the Spanish made Lima, or Ciudad de los Reyes as their capital on January 18th 1535, it was already occupied. The curaca (chief) during the last Incas was Tauli Chusco. Pizarro gave part of his land to Jerónimo de Aliaga. The house was built there. The basement used to be connected by corridors to the viceroyal palace and the church of San Domingo.

Like everything else in Lima, Casa Aliaga was almost completely destroyed during the earthquake of 1740, only the chapel survived. The chapel is therefore one of the few sixteenth century remains in Lima. The walls of Casa Aliaga are made of quincha; a mat of bamboo covered in a mixture of mud, eggshells and faeces, resulting in a rather flexible earthquake resistant structure. Even large buildings as the basilica of San Francisco are partially made of quincha. During the Chilean occupation of Lima 1879-1882 the chapel was stripped of all its silver.

The present occupier of Casa Aliaga is Gonzalo de Aliaga Ascenzo, eight count of San Juan de Lurigancho. Since 1958 the family uses – with permission of the Spanish King – the old noble titles. He is married with Ana María Arrarte Fiedler, sister of Carlo Alberto, owner of Lima Tours, and Eduardo, vice-minister of tourism. Gonzalo is the seventeenth generation Aliaga who lives in the house. The second son of conquistador Jerónimo de Aliaga, also named Jerónimo was the first owner of the so called Mayorazgo de Aliaga. His daughter Juana inherited his possessions. Her son Jerónimo took the name Aliaga, but died without heirs in the beginning of the seventeenth century. His sister Ventura then became owner. She married a descendant of the eldest son of the conquistador, although as well in the female line, but with the surname Aliaga. Their descendants are still living in the house. One of the most important figures in de Limenian society in the eighteenth century was Sebastian de Aliaga y Colmenares. He inherited the title Marqués de Zelada de la Fuente and married in 1779 Doña Maria Mercedes de Santa Cruz y Querejazu, 4.Condesa de San Juan de Lurigancho. With the coming of the republic the noble titles were abolished in 1823.

Commerce triggered first city of the Americas Caral

2009-02-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

Lima - 20 January 2009 – With an estimated age of 5,000 years Caral is the oldest city of the Americas. Caral is located 200 kilometer north of Lima in the valley of the river Supe. In this valley more archeological sites from the same period have been discovered. Caral dates more or less from the same period as the pyramids of Gizeh in Egypt. Caral has eight pyramids, of which three have a circular area in front. The city had several residential areas as well.

Caral was discovered in 1948, but got little attention, because no spectacular things were found in the soil. Archeologist Ruth Shady did since 1994 more fundamental research and discovered that the hills in the area were hiding real pyramids. Pyramids almost as old as those in Egypt.

Caral dates from the Late Archaic period, in which there were no ceramics. No shard has thus been found in Caral. No weapons either. Archeologists are having a discussion whether urbanization was triggered by conflict or commerce. In Caral many remains of fish (especially anchovy and sardines) and shells were found, as were remains of textiles made of cotton and cottonseeds. Caral is not close to the coast. In this fertile river valley cotton was produced. Cotton of which fishing nets were made. They were probably traded for fish. The discovery of Caral is an important argument pro urbanization caused by commerce.

The antiquity of Caral could be estimated because of stones held together by nets of rope that were used as filling material in the construction of the pyramids. Another clue was the body of a man of approx. 23-24 years old that was found in a wall of the Great Pyramid. He was probably sacrificed, as his scull had received three blows and his hands were tied behind his back. With this scull a reconstruction was made of the face of an inhabitant of Caral. A person who lived 5,000 years ago now has a face. His skeleton showed severe signs of wear. Probably he belonged to the lower working class that built the pyramids. In its hey days Caral had 3,000 inhabitants. Part of the city contained the big houses of the elite, other parts the small houses of the working class.

So far in total only five skeletons have been found in Caral. No cemeteries have been discovered. However 32 flutes made of bones of condors and pelicans and 35 horns of cameloids have been found. They were probably used to make music during religious festivities. Statuettes have been found as well. Unbaked as no one had thought of making ceramics yet. No iron or other metal instruments were used. The stones with which the pyramids and houses were built were natural. Only forms of animals and geometrical shapes have been carved in some stones.

Caral was inhabited from 2,600 till 2,000 before Christ. After that the city was abandoned. Maybe this was caused by draughts. No one ever lived again in this place, although the nearby river valley was later inhabited by the Chavin culture, the Chancay and the Incas. It seems they respected this first civilization in the Americas and left Caral untouched.

Spring initiated with pre Inca ritual

2009-02-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

Lima - 20 September 2008 – Today spring was initiated in the huaca (temple) Paraiso with rituals dating from the times of the Incas and earlier. The huaca Paraiso in the north of Lima, in the valley of the river Chillón, is one of the oldest in Peru and dates from the year 2000 before Christ.

The huaca is maintained by a female shaman, originally from the northern province Ancash, with help of the local population. The last decades millions of Peruvians have left the provinces to move to Lima looking for a better existence or fleeing the terrorism of Shining Path, making Lima a metropolis with circa 9 million inhabitants. They took their rituals with them. The shamana got her knowledge from her grandparents. She thinks it important to apply this knowledge in a time where a lot of values have disappeared.

The spring equinox on the southern hemisphere takes place on September 20th. This is the day for the celebration called Qapaq Warmi Kuraq Raymi or Qoya Raymi Killa, where the rituals focus on spiritual cleansing, a ´fresh´ start of the new year and personal renovation. At the same time this a moment for initiation rituals for girls to become women. The girls that participate state that they are not ashamed for these rituals but that they´re proud of their own culture.

Residential market in Lima is still going strong

2009-02-10T06:42:00.000-08:00

Lima – October 2008 – While walking around in Miraflores and other central districts in Lima you see everywhere new apartment buildings under construction. And all advertise: sold completely or last apartments available. Especially the first nine months of this year the prices for houses have increased dramatically. As if no credit crisis exists. And you wonder: who is buying all these apartments and where is the money coming from? In the light of the most recent global financial developments one would expect that the market here will be influenced as well, although the Peruvian real estate sector has some specific characteristics.

The number of recorded housing units being built increased from 1,9 million square meter in 2003 to 3,6 million square meter in 2007, an increase with 67%. And this is only what is officially registered by the Cámara Peruana de la Construcción (Capeco) and amounts probably to 30% of the total construction. Another 70% could be built by families themselves and private companies without building permits. This percentage is based on the total domestic cement consumption in Perú. It is not only because the informal economy is very large and no title deeds exist for the properties, but also because until recently it took 320 days to obtain a building permit, having to visit the same authority no less than six times. Now this last period has been shortened for private houses to five days. There is a big demand for housing, made possible by the increase of income due to the growth of the Peruvian economy and by the availability of more credit.

Demographically Perú has changed enormously. In 1961 the country had 10 million inhabitants of which 1.8 lived in Lima (18%). The last census of 2007 shows that Lima Metropolitana has a population of 8.5 million on a total of 27.4 million (31%). During these last 40 years millions of people have come from the countryside to Lima looking for a better life, safety from earthquakes and the terrorism of Shining Path in the 80-ies and 90-ies. Lima has been transformed in this period: extensive areas have been built to form the so called conos (Cono Norte with Independencia, Comas, Los Olivos and Cono Sur with Villa El Salvador and Santa María) or Lima Emergente which houses more than 5 million of Lima’s inhabitants. Lima Tradicional (Central, Magdalena, Miraflores, San Isidro, Surco, Barranco, La Molina) houses more than 3 million. Especially Lima Norte is bustling with energy and many businesses have been founded. Probably they have become part of the formal economy as well. The people are prospering more and want a better life, so they move to the better parts of the area, or to Lima Tradicional, especially Miraflores.

The Peruvian economy grew by more than 4% per year during the period 2002-06, with a stable exchange rate and low inflation. Growth jumped to 7.5% in 2007 – the highest in Latin America - driven by higher world prices for minerals and metals. Despite the strong macroeconomic performance, underemployment and poverty have stayed however persistently high. The GDP based on purchasing power parity increased from 127 in 2000 to 239 in 2008. According to consultant Ipsos Apoyo in the last four years the average family income increased with 40% in nominal terms, from 430 USD in 2003 to 600 USD in 2007. BBVA Banco Continental states that 20% of the houses are being paid in cash and 80% by mortgages. The 70% houses built in the informal sector are paid in cash or with consumer credits.

Credit in general has become much more available; for buying a house or for buying consumption goods. The mortgage loans increased from 1.1 billion USD in 2002 to 2.9 billion USD in 2007. An important stimulus to the residential market was given by the government with the MiVivienda program in 1998 with 500 million USD which gave mortgage loans on less strict terms than usual to middle income families. This program was so successful that it got exhausted in 2006. Seeing the interest and the fact that people paid back their mortgages made the private banks step in and start to supply easier credits for buying properties. The largest supplier of mortgage loans is Banco de Crédito BCP with a market share of 39%. Mortgages in general are taken for 12 years for an average amount of 45,000 USD. The government started in 2007 a program called Mi Hogar for low-income families to fund mortgages between 31,000 and 78,000 soles (ca 10,000 and 27,000 USD).

The impact of the credit crisis on Perú and the rest of Latin America is unclear at the moment. Perú has a very low mortgage penetration with 2.8% of GDP. In developed countries it is 57% (USA 80%) and in countries in the region like Mexico and Chile, 15% and 11% respectively. So far in general the economy is doing well, although in some sectors like textiles the exports have dropped as US companies are keeping less stock because of the recession. Peruvian workers have returned from the US as well. On the other hand the domestic consumption is performing well. The steep price increase of houses will however probably not continue.

Massive investment in Peruvian shopping centers

2009-02-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

Lima - October 2008 - The next two years 800 million dollar will be invested in new Peruvian shopping centers according to Banco Continental BBVA as a result of the growing prosperity due to favorable political and economic conditions the last years. Of all the countries in Latin America, Perú has the lowest penetration of modern retailing, which gives great opportunities to increase retail space. Originally only in Lima, but now in the provinces as well.

The Peruvian economy grew by more than 4% per year during the period 2002-06, with a stable exchange rate and low inflation. Growth jumped to 7.5% in 2007 – the highest in Latin America - driven by higher world prices for minerals and metals. Despite the strong macroeconomic performance, underemployment and poverty have stayed however persistently high. Growth prospects depend on exports of minerals, textiles, and agricultural products, and by expectations for the Camisea natural gas megaproject and for other promising energy projects. The stock exchange was in 2006 and 2007 one of the fastest growing in the world. By the end of 2007 and continuing into 2008 the Bolsa started to fall and inflation started to rise, due to increased oil and commodity prices.

Demographically Perú has changed enormously. In 1961 de country had 10 million inhabitants of which 1.8 lived in Lima (18%). The last census of 2007 shows that Lima Metropolitana has a population of 8.5 million on a total of 27.4 million (31%). During these last 40 years millions of people have come from the countryside to Lima looking for a better life, safety from earthquakes and the terrorism of Shining Path in the 80-ies and 90-ies. Lima has been transformed in this period: extensive areas have been built to form the so called conos (Cono Norte with Independencia, Comas, Los Olivos and Cono Sur with Villa El Salvador and Santa María) or Lima Emergente which houses more than 5 million of Lima’s inhabitants. Lima Tradicional (Central, Magdalena, Miraflores, San Isidro, Surco, Barranco, La Molina) houses more than 3 million.
The GDP based on purchasing power parity increased from 127 in 2000 to 239 in 2008. This increase in purchasing power is a consequence of political and economic stability and of course the hard work of a large part of the population. The son of a peasant who migrated to Lima in the 60-ies was a taxidriver or owner of a small shop, but the grandson could now be a graduated engineer. The emerging zones are bustling with energy and small businesses. Credit has become much more available; for buying a house or for buying consumption goods. The MiVivienda program of the government played an important role as did the introduction of credit cards by leading retailers. The increase of the income for a large part of the urban population makes it possible for people to have a better life. This is reflected in the construction activities and related matters as do-it-yourself stores.

Traditional sales channels; grocery retailers and marketplaces, are the main sales distribution channels in the Peruvian market, due to their proximity to the population and their distribution at a domestic level. Supermarkets and hypermarkets are increasing their reach in Lima’s developing zones and in the provinces of Peru. In 2007 the retail sales through shopping centers amounted to 1.6 billion dollar, against 1.2 billion in 2006. Still in Lima this accounts for only 10% of total retail sales. For 2008 sales of 2.2 billion dollar are expected by the organization of shopping centers ACCEP. The growth of the Peruvian retail sector also attracts foreign companies: Dutch wholesale retailer Makro plans to open 15 stores, of which the first one will be opened in Lima in 2009.

The number of commercial centers is increasing at an unbelievable speed with Lima as the centre of most of the activity, although in the last years the other cities are being targeted as well. In 2009 and 2010 more than 800 million dollar will be invested in 26 new shopping centers according to bank BBVA: 210 million dollar in Lima Tradicional, 290 million dollar in Lima Emergente and 320 million dollar in the rest of the country. Compared with other Latin American countries Perú has the lowest penetration of modern retailing.

At the moment the three main shopping centers based on turnover are Jockey Plaza, Plaza San Miguel and Megaplaza Norte in Lima. Jockey Plaza expects total sales in 2008 to be 500 million dollars, with monthly 3 million visitors. In general a department store, hypermarket and a do-it-yourself store are the anchors for the shopping centers. The main department stores are Ripley and Saga Falabella. Both owned by Chilean companies. Hypermarkets from top to bottom-end: Wong (bought in 2007 by Chilean Cencosud), Vivanda (Supermercados Peruanos/Interbank), Metro (Cencosud), Tottus (Falabella) and Plaza Vea (Supermercados Peruanos/Interbank, 1999-2003 owned by the Dutch Ahold group). And DIY: Sodimac (bought in 2003 by Falabella) and Maestro Ace Home Center (member of Ace Hardeware Corporation in US).

The main developers of shopping centers are Chilean and connected to the above mentioned companies. Malls Perú - a subsidiary of Falabella - builds and operates the shopping and power centers of this group under the brand Open Plaza and is very active in the provinces. Chilean real estate developer and manager Parque Arauco SA – founded by José Said Saffie a grandson of Isa Said who emigrated from Jerusalem to Perú in the early twentieth century – operates Mega Plaza Norte (45%) and Plaza Lima Sur and is planning Parque El Golf in San Isidro. The other 55% of Mega Plaza Norte is owned by Peruvian Grupo Wiese. Mall Aventuro Plaza is a subsidiary of Chilean shopping center operator Mall Plaza. Peruvian Interbank develops through it’s subsidiary Interseguro shopping centers under the name Real Plaza, mainly in the provinces.

Lima Tradicional
High street shopping does not exist anymore in Lima. In the 19th and first half of the 20th century Lima was one of the most elegant cities of South America. You could stroll through the parks in the center of the town, have an ice cream there and later tea in one of the big hotels. The Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Martín were the places to be, connected by the Jirón de La Unión, with shops in fashionable art deco style. Those days are past. With the economy turning for the worse, the influx of migrants and the advance of terrorism the elite evacuated the center of town and moved to Miraflores and San Isidro and later to La Molina to live a safe life of luxury behind high walls keeping the undesired elements out.

Nowadays you can find the designer outlets in the commercial centers El Polo in La Molina and Jockey Plaza in neighbouring Surco. Jockey Plaza, the most important Peruvian mall and built in 1997, is owned by Chilean bankers Grupo Altas Cumbres. Turnover was in 2007 410 million dollars and is expected to be 500 million dollars in 2008. The next three years the mall will be doubled in floor space: from 70,000 sq m to 140,000 sq m, to facilitate the housing of department store Paris (Cencosud), La+Polar, Sodimac and Tottus. A total investment of 100 million dollar.
Monterrico Plaza of Peruvian Grupo Brescia with an area of 85,000 sq m near La Molina will be finished in 2008. An investment of 30 million dollar.

Parque Arauco penetrates the core of traditional Lima with it’s project Parque El Golf in exclusive neighbourhood San Isidro. A shopping center with 13,000 sq m will be part of mixed-use project with two office towers and a 5-star hotel. Total investment 100 million dollar.
Interseguro (Interbank) is building shopping center Centro Civico near the new underground bus station. This center will open in 2009.

Lima Emergente
After the huge success of Mega Plaza Norte in Independencia, which opened in 2002 (investment 40 million dollar) and Plaza Lima Sur in Chorrillos, which opened in 2005 (investment 35 million dollar), Parque Arauco is rumored to be planning Mega Plaza Este in Santa Anita and Mega Plaza Sur in Villa María del Triunfo for a total investment of 80 million dollar. According to Percy Vigíl Vidal general manager of Mega Plaza Norte, this has to be seen, for the moment only the land has been bought in Santa Anita and there is no plan yet for another center in Lima Sur. Mega Plaza Norte has been enlarged from 96,000 sq m to 138,000 sq m and the focus of the company is for the moment on this center. Turnover in 2007 amounted to 270 million dollar. The center serves an area with a radius of 25-30 minutes by car comprising of 2 million inhabitants. Per month 3 million people visit Mega Plaza Norte, according to Vigíl this is 35-40% of the population. The most popular items are clothes and footwear. When asked what the difference is between the customers in Lima Emergente and Lima Tradicional Vigíl responds that the customers here are much more participatory. There are music contests and every weekend the center hosts live music and other events. A customer from Jockey Plaza would find it here much too noisy. On the other hand the center also organizes ballet performances, as there is no theatre in the vicinity.

Malls Perú operates two power centers in Lima Emergente; Open Plaza San Miguel and Open Plaza Atocongo in San Juan de Miraflores, which was built with an investment of 25 million dollar in 2006. Malls Perú enlarges Open Plaza Atocongo. Malls Perú formed in November 2007 a joint venture with Padabest, subsidiary of Ripley, and Chilean Mall Plaza under the name Inversiones Corporativas Alfa to build 3 shopping centers for 138 million dollar in Callao, Santa Anita and Trujillo. This is seen as a reaction against the take-over of Grupo Wong by Cencosud and possible further expansion of Cencosud in Perú. Power centers have just two or three big stores; a department store, hypermarket and DIY and no additional small stores and food courts as the traditional shopping centers.

Mall Aventuro Plaza plans to build shopping centers in Callao-Bellavista, which will be finished in September 2008, and Santa Anita, which will be finished in the first semester of 2009. Total investment 65 million dollar.

Grupo Torvisco is at the moment constructing a mall under the name Imperio in Puente Piedra. Which will house their own supermarket brand Uniko. 33 year old director Nemecio Torvisco Palomino stated that the company already owns land that could be used for the construction of three more shopping centers in Lima. The story of Nemecio Torvisco is a success story: he was born in Abancay in the central Andes, but his family moved to La Agustina, where he started to work as a carpenter when he was 14 years old. With his brothers he started a small paint factory in 1991, which now has 280 employees.