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My Own Brush with a Violent Protest in Lima
After writing yesterday’s tongue-in-cheek post about the U.S. Embassy warning about foreigners getting swept up in political demonstrations in Peru, I realized that I had nearly been caught in a violent protest myself. (To my credit, I had no illusion that it was a folkloric event.) It was in May 2000, when Fujimori was storming his way to a third presidential term, and protesters all throughout Lima, as well as the rest of the country, were clashing with police. El Híjo, El Fotógrafo and I were at a leather store in downtown Lima, three blocks from the presidential palace, when people started yelling in the street. One minute it was a quiet, gray…
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Of Poisoned Dogs, Pigeons and Fujimori
Many thanks to the concerned people who’ve sent their good wishes to our dog Lola, who was poisoned last week in Parque Leoncio Prado, in Miraflores. Lola recovered thanks to the efforts of her vet, whose office is just blocks away. Not every animal that is poisoned in Peru is fortunate to live close to a competent veterinarian. Many pets die of asphyxiation or shock (Lola was in shock when we took her in) before a remedy can be administered. Four of El Fotografo’s relatives have had dogs or cats die from poisoning or suspected poisoning over the last ten years, and in each case, the animal wasn’t found until too late. Hearing…
