Machu Picchu, the tourist lung of Peru, has recovered a large part of the flow of travelers, absent during the almost two years of the pandemic. Thus, important resources arrive for the development of the department, which is also one of the three where the most socio-environmental conflicts are registered. Jean Paul Benavente, governor of Cusco, says that “a firmer action is required, to speak with authority, as a State, but also to open a dialogue in which the communities are served.”
It is not easy to find a politician willing to risk a trial that will surely cause a stir in his country. Less so when he heads a strategic region, the Cusco region, and at the same time is president of the National Assembly of Regional Governments of Peru. Jean Paul Benavente, Governor of Cusco, is the guest on this occasion of Escala in Paris.
With him we talked about the recovery of tourism and the projects to develop this sector of the Peruvian economy; but also from the multiplication of socio-environmental conflicts derived from mining activity, from the crisis that the country is going through, and from the risk that President Pedro Castillo will not finish his mandate. “There is a lot of political noise and the only thing left is national unity and being able to work hand in hand,” he says.
Jean Paul Benavente was elected in 2019, shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic was declared in his country. “From one moment to another the central square of Cusco, the main square, Machu Picchu itself were empty, without tourists. Obviously in the health issue and in the health issue there was a strong impact in the country, in my region, because structurally there were deficiencies and weaknesses. In addition to going through that health crisis, we have gone through a political and economic crisis. Today we are looking for an economic revival and a revival of tourism “, he points out.
The return to normal
The situation has returned to a kind of normality, and as expected, thousands of people have rushed to visit what is considered, after 2007, one of the seven new wonders of the world. “We are returning to pre-pandemic numbers. Right now we expect to close the year with 60 to 70 percent of the number of tourists that arrived in 2019. In that year, we had 1,600,000 tourists in Cusco, and from that, we obviously want overcome it, but for that we have to work in the conditions of connectivity, but also of conservation and preservation of our cultural and natural heritage”, he answers.
One of the great challenges for Cusco, as for the rest of the country, is climate warming. “It is a matter of global concern. I hope that the COP26 can do something more than what it has agreed to do. Two years ago more or less we have suffered a flood, a landslide of one of the most important snow-capped mountains, Salkantay. This year there is also another snow-capped mountain that has had landslides and we are concerned about the loss of the glaciers in our country. For that, what we are doing is planting and harvesting water, which means afforestation and reforestation on the summits, to do more in the headwaters of the basin. Meanwhile, our task is to generate the minimum adequate ecosystem to at least guarantee the protection of our great mountain ranges,” he says.
Socio-environmental conflicts
The department of Cusco, in the southeast of Peru, has a large amount of natural resources; At the same time, it is one of the three regions of the country that registers the greatest number of socio-environmental conflicts, specifically due to mining activity.
We ask, what is your government doing to solve them and, more importantly, to prevent them? Jean Paul Benavente recalls that the Camisea zone is located in his region, “the main source of energy supply in my country. A mining corridor that places us in second place in Latin America in production of copper and other minerals. around these extractive industries social conflicts, on which, due to the dialogue and the possibility of achieving governance in our region with our communities, we have been able to resolve, coordinate with the communities; however, this is a matter of national competence , where the Government must intervene and until now, we have seen little action, there has been no solution to the problems”.
It is not a new situation, the first conflicts derived from mining activity began 15 years ago. According to a report from the Ombudsman’s Office, in 2021, 22 conflicts were registered in the department. “There are some mining enclaves that belong to my region, and others that belong to the national level, the corridor. And that is because it is required a firmer action, to speak with authority as a State, but also to open a dialogue in which the communities are taken care of and we can bring development to those parts of my region,” he demands.
Recently the local population protested to denounce the hiring of foreigners to resolve territorial disputes. In particular, they accused people of Venezuelan origin of being involved. “Yes, there has been confirmation of the presence of some of them, but the most important thing is to find a solution by fulfilling the commitments, both the companies and the Peruvian State.”
The fragile Castillo Presidency
Jean Paul Benavente is President of the National Assembly of Regional Governments. What evaluation do the Peruvian governors make of the mandate of President Pedro Castillo?
“It is a very weakened government, perhaps because of the attacks it has received, also because of its own merits. And what we want is to help speed up an investment process. There is a prevailing need in Peru and other countries of the world to reactivate their economy, generate employment, income, and for that, private investment must be leveraged, which, precisely, if it reaches a country, is because there is less political noise. But with all that noise in my country, the growth of private investment is obviously stalling. For this reason, the governors must promote public investment, on which we must generate connectivity, basic services, close social gaps in access to water, education, health and roads, to promote, for example, issues such as tourism, ”replies the governor.
In 11 months of government, President Castillo has changed his cabinet five times. The last one lasted just 72 hours. Last April, the governor of Cusco proposed a nationwide political pact “to overcome the crisis.”
A pact that is part of the “national agreement”: “It has been nearly twenty years since this institution was managed, in which different government agencies, different sectors and political parties participate, as well as academia, professional associations, the private sector, the agrarian sector, the workers”.
The proposal within the framework of this “national agreement” is to try to resolve “the issue of corruption that obviously affects countries, particularly mine, and a forceful demarcation by the president.” It also proposes that “there be an opening to convene different professionals who can integrate the ministerial portfolios and thereby give the country peace of mind, stability and governability.”
And “obviously we get to work with the Congress of the Republic, which is the other power of the State that generates this conflict, therefore, what we understood there is that instead of being worried about a vacancy in the president, it was better give him a way out, because neither one wants to leave. So, better, let’s give a way out in national unity, generating economic and political reforms that are needed today”.
Jean Paul Benavente is concerned that President Castillo will not complete his mandate: “Someone said that, in this crisis, the way out is that there is no way out. Everyone wants to stay and yet they want to continue in crisis. Therefore, what we have pointed out is, if there is no other way out, the only thing left is national unity and being able to work hand in hand”.
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