© 2010 Ana Cecilia Gonzales Vigil.All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission
Mahogany is on the verge of disappearing from the Peruvian jungle. Small traders go deep into the rain forest looking for trees. In 2003 the Peruvian Government created the Anti Illegal Timber Police. This squadron seizes the various rafts made of planks of cedar and mahogany that circulate illegally along the rivers.
Peru is trying to control the fishing of anchovies. The price per ton doubled in the second semester of 2006. Government officials authorized the fishing of a maximun 2'000,000 tons for the same period (during 10 days in November and 10 days in December). 248 industrial ships and 279 vessels took part in the extraction prcocess.
Enzo came to Peru about 10 years ago. He is an Italian make-up artist obsessed with beauty. He likes leading a good life and hates ugliness. He’s applied make-up to famous women, feels a passion for horses and is terrified with old age. He remains in Lima because there he has a standard of living that in Italy would be impossible to support.
In July 2006 an area of 104 thousand square meters, originally destined for the construction of the Universidad Tecnologica del Cono Sur (Technological University) in Villa El Salvador, was invaded by approximately 4000 families. Due to the indecision of the authorities just before local elections and to the lack of clarity with regards the Municipality’s educational project, there are no signs of a prompt solution to the problem.
Sergio Patrucco and Mónica Delgado decided to marry in 2005. The ceremony took place on December 17th. These photos show the activities of " the bride " during the day the religious ceremony took place.
On April 9, 2006 general elections were held in Peru. In the previous months the country was flooded with political propaganda. 24 candidates were officially registered. In the second run off Alan García got 52.6 % of the valid votes and Ollanta Humala 47.3 %. In Peru voting is mandatory, 7.5 % of the electorate vice his (her,your) vote.
The prison of Santa Monica has an approximate population of 900 inmates. Of them, over 100 are foreigners, all, without exception, are there for drug trafficking. For more than 10 years, every September with the arrival of spring, Lima’s women prison organizes a contest that measures the beauty and skills of the prisioners.
This is a small selection of photos taken in the last five years. Some they were done by order of the New York Times others on my own initiative. Peru is a country of contrasts. I have included images of the coast, the Andes and the Amazon jungle.
Talented young Peruvian fashion designers are using traditional fabrics and find inspiration in the andean culture. Exports from the industry reached a billion dollars by the end of 2004. Ani Alvarez Calderón specializes in wedding and evening dresses. She showed her first collection in the year 2000. ANIAC is her casual line.
Newmont Mining Co. began to operate in Cajamarca in 1994. Initial studies determined there was enough gold for 5 years. Twelve years later Yanacocha rose beyond all expectations with earnings over 3 trillion dollars. More than 600,000 tons / day of land are "moved" by trucks and sprayed with cyanide to extract gold. Local population and environmentalists accuse the mine of contaminating natural wells and rivers with toxic residues.
