Promise and Pitfalls in Peru
Back in November I spent a couple of weeks in Peru on an International Reporting Project Gatekeepers Fellowship. The program was a whirlwind tour of the country. We began with a few days in Lima, flew to Cusco, visited Machu Picchu, trekked off to the Amazon region of Madre de Dios, and back to Lima. Along the way we met with government, business, academic, and development figures. We explored public health, development, environmental, and political issues.
We even visited the International Potato Center and learned that the country has more potato varieties (on the order of 3,000), than any other country.
So, I want to share some thoughts, observations, and takeaways from the trip. In essence, the best summary of Peru came from the US Embassy team who described Peru as a “swing state.”