Peruvian Potatoes

Open air market in Pisac
Large variety of potatoes can be seen on display on left above fruits

Potatoes are a classic Peruvian dish.  The Inca cultivated an extensive array of potatoes and used raised bed terraces on the sides of their fortresses to maximize crop yield. The Spanish conquistadors brought potatoes back to Europe with them when they returned from the Conquest.  In the open air Peruvian markets there are literally hundreds of types of potatoes in all shapes and colors  -- far more of an array than is ever seen in the United States, even at Farmer's Markets.

A favorite Peruvian potato recipe is Papa a la Huancaina, which is basically potatoes in a spicy cheese sauce.  This dish is served cold, and is typically used as an appetizer or a luncheon dish.  The recipe can be found at the following link:


http://www.food.com/recipe/papas-a-la-huanca-na-143492

Clandestine Abortion in Peru

Currently, abortion is illegal in Peru unless the mother's life is at risk should she continue the pregnancy.  Despite the illegality of the procedure, there were approximately 352,000 abortions performed in Peru in 2004, the last year for which numbers were estimated.  That year there were 1,000,000 total pregnancies in Peru.  Thus, the estimated number of abortions represents 35% of the total pregnancies.

The government views abortion as a moral and religious issue, even though clearly it is a public health issues.  Governmental response has been to punish those having or performing abortions, rather than addressing the root causes of the need for abortion services.

Peru is a predominantly Catholic country, and as such, the Church is highly influential in setting and maintaining moral standards.  Despite the fact that the Church forbids the use of birth control other than the rhythm method, 68.9 percent of women who are married or in a committed relationship use some form of birth control.  Of these, only 14.4% use the rhythm method.  The rest use the pill, IUD, barrier methods, injections, rings, or have been voluntarily sterilized.

The statistics are more sobering when we look at the use of birth control among all women of reproductive age.  Only 44% of these women use protection.  It is clear that a large number of single women are sexually active, yet not practicing safe sex.

Counterintuitively, the "typical" Peruvian woman who has an abortion is married or in a committed relationship, and has children already.  The unwanted pregnancy comes at a time when they feel their family is complete, or at a time of economic hardship, wherein they cannot afford the child.

A clandestine abortion in Peru is usually sought, sourced, and paid for by the father of the child.  Despite  the illegality of the procedure, there are many people who will perform them, including physicians, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, shamans, and the patients themselves.  Peruvian law has relaxed the penalties for individuals who present at hospitals with post-abortion injuries or infections, as well as for those connected with performing the procedures.

The most popular method of inducing abortion is to take prostaglandin drugs orally and have them applied to the vagina.  These, in conjunction with oxytocin, begin strong contractions which cause the fetus to be expelled.  Other methods include taking large doses of aspirin and acetominephen (20-50 pills at a time); drinking herbal extracts and special teas; introduction of foreign objects such as knitting needles, catheters, and wire in to the vagina; being beaten or pushed down the stairs by a family member or friend; and the introduction of liquids into the vagina, such as bleach or Coca Cola.

Access to family planning information and services is very hard to come by in Peru.  There is no sex education in the schools, and as with many places in the world, families are reluctant to talk about sex, or feel that their religious practice forbids the use of family planning.  The large number of abortions in the country is reflective of a desperate lack of information and access to assist women in controlling their reproduction.  This is especially true in the poorer jungle and Andean Highland regions, where the only source of health care is often the local shaman.

Source:  F. Delicia.  Clandestine Abortion in Peru - Facts and Figures 2002. Flora Trista Center for Peruvian Women. Pathfinder Institute, April 2002.

Childhood Malnutrition in Peru

Peru has one of the highest rates of income inequality in Latin America, with a huge disparity between rich and poor. Approximately 45% of Peruvian citizens are characterized by WHO as poor, and 20% are extremely poor. Poverty impacts children especially hard in Peru. Three out of 5 children live in poverty. Non-Spanish speaking children suffer dramatically. indigenous populations that live in Amazonia and in the Andean Highlands have the highest rate of poverty in the country.

Indigenous children exhibit symptoms of stunted growth as early as 3 months of age. Breastfeeding is not universally accepted and babies are fed soup and broth from ages 6-24 months. This is an inefficient and nutritionally deficient means of feading children.

In addition to poor food, indigenous children work at a very early age. They begin as early as age 5 and 6 to perform regular work -- most of which is not paid and labor intensive in support of family activities. In Quechua and Aymara communities, work is highly valued and takes precedence over schooling. As a result, children learn the basics of the first several grades (simple reading, writing and some math) but do not value progressing further. As children grow, their families expect more labor from them. With limited food availablity, low level malnutrition is a constant among indigenous children.

In addition to malnutrition, rates of chronic anemia are also high among indigenous children. This can be attributed to diets that are largely centered on corn and corn derived products.

The Shining Path - Leftist Guerrillas in Peru

Socioeconomic changes in many Latin American countries in the later half of the 20th century led to the rise of leftist movements that confronted established governments and caused devastating collateral damage to innocent citizens.

Peru was no exception. In response to a corrupt and ineffective national government, a Maoist guerrilla group, The Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) emerged in the early 1980s with the goal of overthrowing the existing government and creating a Communist state in the model of Maoist China.

Led by Abimael Guzman, the Shining Path waged an internal war with the Peruvian government for 12 years, from 1988 to 2000. The Shining Path used terrorist tactics to try to achieve their goals - kidnapping and murder of innocent civilians, assassinations of key government officials, and complete disruption of civil society.

The impact of the Shining Path on Peruvian society cannot be underestimated. In the course of 12 years, more than 70,000 civilians died, and more than 600,000 were displaced. A vast migration took place within Peru, with entire populations abandoning Andean towns and moving to Lima for safety. This contributed to the creation of the barriadas discussed in an earlier post.

Certainly one of the most horrific acts of violence committed by the Shining Path was the Massacre at Lucamarca, which took place on April 3, 1983. The citizens of this Andean town tried to resist the influence of the Shining Path, and tried to evict them from their village. As a result, a member of the Shining Path group was killed. In retaliation, the Shining Path marched into Lucamarca and rounded up women, children, and the elderly and killed 69 of them - by vicious and atrocious means - including the boiling alive of pregnant women.

The ensuing response to this massacre was very similar to what can be seen in the film "Discovering Dominga." Citizens pressed the Peruvian government for answers regarding these deaths. Forensic anthropologists confirmed that the deaths were executions, and this information was used later on to convict Guzman and nine other leaders of Shining Path of crimes of homicide, terrorism, and damage to the Peruvian State. He is currently imprisoned under a life sentence in a Peruvian prison.

Peru and the Coca Trade

Peru is the largest source of the coca plant in the world.  The leaves of this plant are used for a variety of legitimate purposes -- however their use in the illegal production of cocaine is perhaps the most well known.

Approximately two thirds of the world's cocaine is derived from Peruvian coca plants.  Peruvians grow the plant, and the leaves are shipped to processing facilities in Columbia and Bolivia for processing and transhipment to countries around the world.  Peru's role in the coca trade is primarily as a producer of the the leaves.

The growing of coca is an ancient art, and can be traced back to the time of the Inca.  Coca leaves were used extensively by the Inca for medicinal purposes - as a numbing agent for surgeries, teeth extraction and bone setting, and a means of staying awake while travelling long distances.  In addition, the Inca used coca to dull hunger pains in times of food shortage, and to increase aggression prior to battle.  It was also used for  managing altitude sickness, a use seen extensively today in Peru.

Incan religious rituals also utilized coca leaves as well to create a feeling of joy and well being.

Coca growing has had a devastating effect on the environment in Peru.  Maximizing yield trumps sustainable agricultural practices, and as a result, slash and burn farming is the norm.  Furthermore, Peruvian farmers "preprocess" the leaves prior to shipment to Bolivia and Columbia.  Toxic chemicals, such as acetone, sulfuric acid, and ammonia (among others) are used to treat the leaves after picking, and the left over chemicals are dumped in Peruvian rivers and streams.

Among the challenges faced by the Peruvian government in addressing the coca trade in Peru is that it employs many rural Andean residents who would have no other source of income without it.  The government cannot support these citizens who are out of work.  As a result,  the Peruvian government is working with the US government to provide financial assistance to grow other crops that are more profitable, such as maize, cacao, and coffee.  Farmers are being given land to grow these crops, and there is no risk premium for growing illegal crops.

Coca Shop in Cusco, Peru - side street off main city square

Today, if you go to the Peruvian Andes, you will see evidence of coca culture all around you.  Coca leaves are chewed by native peoples for the same reasons that the Inca did so hundreds of years ago.  Coca tea is available to arriving guests at hotels in high altitude cities such as Cusco and in Lake Titicaca to calm the effects of altitude sickness.  Coca bars are also seen in he major cities, such as the ancient Incan capital, Cuzco,.  The photo above was taken by the author at a coca bar on a Cusco side street.  Processed cocaine is illegal in Peru today.  However, it is legal to grow small amounts of coca plants for personal consumption.

Barriadas in Lima

The city of Lima, the largest in Peru and also its capital, is comprised of well over 8 million people.  In fact, over 30% of the entire population of the country lives in Lima.  As a result, the city faces crushing demand for land and affordable housing.

This has created an axis of power within the city between the elite and the urban poor.  Both these groups fill important roles in establishing neighborhoods for their members, in the absence of state control or intervention.

In the 1940's, a very powerful migration movement began in Peru, which shifted large numbers of people from the rural and mountainous Andean region to the city of Lima.  These individuals found no housing available for them in Lima.  As a result, these new residents took up residence in "barriadas", areas that were informal settlements, located outside of the city limits.

This land was the least valuable, and the most dangerous in the Lima area - both from a crime standpoint, but also from an ecological perspective.  Located near rivers and in steep hilly terrain, the land was prone to flooding and severe demage from seismic activity.  They are similar to slums in the United States or shantytowns or favelas in Brazil.

Lima has not experienced high levels of urban unrest that would be expected in a city so divided between rich residents living in the financial district and those poor residents living in the barriadas.

The success of barriadas in Lima stemmed from the fact that the individuals who took over the land, while poor, were highly organized, and were able to set up systems to provide a network of services for their residents that the State was unable and unwilling to provide.  They were aided with the tacit help of Lima elites, who did not interfere with the establishment of the barriadas.  The wealthy of Lima understood that the success of the barriadas kept the poor segregated away from the elites in the financial center of Lima.  Furthermore, by encouraging the social organization of the poor within the barriadas, the needs of the poor were managed within the confines of their own community and did not spill into the better areas of the city.  As Ana Fernandez-Maldonado noted in her paper on the subject of barriadas in Lima, "Spatially, this process has produced orderly neighborourhoods, which follow the traditional urban grid used in other parts of the consolidated city.  Functionally, this process has effectively provided access to and and housing to great part of the city dwellers." (Barriadas and Elite in Lima, Peru: Recent Trends of Urban integration and Disintegration. 42nd ISoCaRP Congress, 2006).


Other than the obvious need for shelter, residents of the barriadas had need of food, clean running water, and health services.  Community organizers and their "grassroots organizations" established networks that provided these services to residents.  As Fernandex-Maldonado notes: "Barriadas experienced the flourishing of grassroots associateaions, suvival mechanisms, reciprocity networks, and new associative practices.  Greassrooots networks addressed survival issues, mainly food and health related matters.  They became a sort of 'informal welfare institutions', in view of the lack of public welfare."(Barriadas and Elite in Lima, Peru: Recent Trends of Urban integration and Disintegration. 42nd ISoCaRP Congress, 2006).  As a result, issues were managed within the barriadas, and did not spill over into the wealthier areas of town.  Thus, in Lima, one sees a very low incidence of gated communites, guarded neighborhoods, and houses physically separated from lower class neighborhoods by walls, and other barriers.

The development of barriadas in Lima presents an interesting case study of social problemsolving by both the rich and the poor in the absence of government intervention.

Trapezoids and the Inca

The Inca of Peru are well known for their mastery of stone-cutting.  Without the use of iron or access to iron ore, the Inca were able to cut large blocks of local stone - granite and basalt to name two - and fashion architectural masterpieces that are unsurpassed. 

Heavy stones were placed together so closely, and with such a tight fit, that mortar was not required, and a thin knife could not be passed between these immense blocks.

The trapezoid shape recurs constantly throughout Incan culture -- in particular in their architecture.  Doors and windows in temples and fortresses were trapezoidal in shape, and anthropologists have questioned the symbolism of this shape.

The trapezoid is an extremely stable shape.  Not only does it visually present as solid, stable and unmovable, but stones cut in this shape are structurally more stable than rectangles and some squares.  Given that the Incan Empire ran through the Andes in a known seismic zone, it is highly likely that Incan architects learned over time that trapezoids provided extreme stability in times of earthquake.  In fact, a trapezoidal door is much more seismicly sound that the traditional 8 foot rectangular door found in most homes in Southern California.  Examples of trapezoidal doors and windows found in Peruvian architecture are shown below.  Photos were taken by the author of this blog.

Fortress at Sacsayhuaman
Note Trapezoidal Openings at top

Trapezoidal Door
Interior Machu Picchu

Trapezoidal Windows in Upper Level
Machu Picchu

Small Fortress right outside Machu Picchu
Trapezoidal Windows