Archbishop of Cusco to Evict More Local Restaurants
Peruvian and expat bloggers have lately been decrying the demise of the Ayllu cafe on Cuco’s historic Plaza de Armas. The 37-year-old coffee shop was a fixture of intellectual and social life in Cusco, and served up excellent, reasonably priced pastries and sandwiches, along with first-rate hot beverages to ward off the Andean cold. The Ayllu also nurtured the indigenismo movement that affirmed the values of native Peruvian cultures.
(Read here for reactions from En Peru and Peruanista blogs. Click here for a recent video by Mario Silva on the Ayllu.)
The Ayllu’s spot is being taken over by a Starbucks franchise, which has agreed to pay the site’s landlord, the archbishop of Cusco, an exhorbitantly higher rent as well as 10% of profits.
From the Ayllu to Starbucks? Gag me. It is rather like having the Left Bank’s Cafe de Flore, birthplace of the existentialist movement, being bought out by a Dunkin Donuts. The photo above, by ANDINA / Fernando Zora-Carvajal, shows authorities kicking out the Ayllu staff.
I’ve raised my voice several times against the archbishop’s greed and his callous treatment of local restaurant owners in Cusco. Along the same side of the Plaza de Armas, McDonald’s has already set up shop, to be joined by Kentucky Fried Chicken. These businesses don’t belong on the Plaza de Armas, which is recognized as one of the most historic squares in the Western Hemisphere. Nor should these Amerian franchises be privileged over Peruvian businesses. They harm Cusco in both real and symbolic ways, and the Church should respect the sanctity of this great square.
I walked past the former Ayllu two weeks ago when I was in Cusco. The glossy brown shutters were closed against the street. No longer was it possible to drop by for a delicious hot chocolate made from local Cusceno chocolate, served for a reasonable 5 soles. I rather wore down El Fotografo lamenting the changes.
But the story isn’t over yet.
Unable to grab a bite to eat at the ground-floor cafe, we made our way to the nearest side street where, after much discussion, we entered a small restaurant that offered local fare at local prices.
The four of us each ordered big bowls of soup — quinoa, chicken, vegetable — for 6 soles a piece. That’s about US$2 each.
It was great soup, and there was lots of it.
How reassuring, I thought, that restaurants like this still exist near the Plaza de Armas.
Two minutes later I was eating my words: The restaurant owner, who has been at that spot for 20 years, confessed that he was looking for a new location. The real estate is owned by the archbishop who — you guessed it — wants four times the current rent AND a piece of the profits.
It’s not stopping, I thought. The Church won’t be satisfied until all of downtown Cusco is turned into an overpriced tourist trap/fancy outdoor mall that only well-heeled tourists can afford to patronize.
Screw the locals, screw the poor, screw the backpackers, screw anyone who wants to eat healthy Peruvian food at decent prices.
I’m going to end this post now because, well, what can one blog post do to wake up local Cusceños to the obscenity that is the archbishop’s policy toward local businesses? The right people in Cusco must be engaged and they must stand up to the Church and they must take to the streets.
There is a time for blogging and a time for action. I truly hope someone who lives in Cusco and care about this development will want to take up the cause.
Barbara
I am an American writer who lived in Lima for seven years (2007-2014), where I covered Andean traditions, melting glaciers and daily life in the capital for Miami Herald, MSNBC and Huffington Post. I now live and work in northern Florida where I champion climate change advocacy and compassionate, affordable eldercare.
22 Comments
Rachel
The church stopped respecting the sanctity of the square when they built over sacred Incan temples.
I was shocked when last year I went to the Cathedral in Lima and they wanted S/.10 just to walk in the doors! I had visited the cathedral for free in 2005.
Shame on the Vatican for ignoring the Archbishop’s corruption.
Stuart
“Shame on the Vatican for ignoring the Archbishop’s corruption”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa!! hahahahahahahaa! Good one!
Ward
It’s unfortunate, but many young Cusquenians are actually embracing these changes.
Camila
So the archbishop demands them to renovate their local and strategy and the Beltran aren’t able to do so. Why then it doesn’t become an open call for other cuzqueños or at least other peruvian businessmen?
Wouldn’t that be the obvious thing?
I guess that would need that the church care about the people in Cuzco or Peru..
Pingback:
jude
Sad news indeed, I was hoping for some type of a miracle that would have allowed the Ayllu to keep their space on the plaza.
I first visited the Ayllu, back in 1988, and the atmosphere and welcoming staff ensured that I stopped in at least once on all my subsequent visits to Peru. Cusco have changed tremendously since then, but the Ayllu seemed timeless, an easy place to slip back into.
I’d like to boycott Starbucks, but, as I’ve only ever drank their coffee once, it’s not going to make much of a dent in their business.
Barb
“A timeless, easy place to slip back into.” What an apt description of the welcoming vibe of the Ayllu.
I too always felt I could “count” on the Ayllu to be a refuge in Cusco after some long trek.
leandra
We are in the process of planning a visit to Cusco in October and this post saddens me. I never visit fast food restaurants at home much less in foreign cities, but the worst part is how local businesses are displaced in the name of commercialism.
Pico
Ahhh,
It is so comforting to read that the church is up to its century-long practice of profiting from its properties, which in the first place no one knows how they got it, or who they got it from.
Just another episode in the church’s dubious history in Peru.
Steph
I love your blog! I think you’ve seen from my blog that Peru has captured a piece of my heart, so it’s great to hear your perspective on life in Lima.
Pingback:
Barbara
Pico — now I know you’re really Peruvian. A gringo couldn’t fake that cynicism.:)
Steph — thanks a mill. Readers, check out Stephanie’s blog wordsmakesentences. I like it a lot.
Zarita
And still people some people, incredibly, follow what church says.
Zarita
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback:
Keith Berry
As an American I have seen the raping of small business first hand. I refuse to eat at McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Dunkin Donuts, I used to drink Starbucks coffee years ago but now I won’t go near the place. I have been visiting Lima for a little over a week, was here about 4 years ago. And I am taken back by how many American fast food eateries there are. I hope Bembos and Pardos don’t go out of business, they’re far superior than McDonalds and KFC. As an ex Catholic I can attest to the crap the Church is involved in.
I deplore any priest or Arch bishop that tries to control anything outside of the church.
Thank “God” for the separation of the state and all things church related. Let’s keep it that way. I think Peruvians better start thinking along those terms or you’ll see more of this Holy Greed factor increase as the church becomes smaller in size.
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback: