THE narrow streets of San José de Lourdes, on Peru’s border with Ecuador, were jammed on May 10th for a once-in-a-lifetime event. Martín Vizcarra (pictured) was the first president of Peru to visit the sweltering town, which was founded nearly 75 years ago and then, it seems, promptly forgotten. “We are taking a look at the entire country, focusing attention right now on areas that have been abandoned by the state,” he told The Economist in his first interview with a foreign newspaper. “This zone fits that description.”
Schools in San José de Lourdes lack windows and running water. No doctor has visited the health clinic in three years. The poverty rate of around 60% is nearly three times the national average. Cars cross the Chinchipe river on a pulley-drawn platform, sometimes waiting days for passage. The town’s previous mayor is in prison on corruption charges.
Mr Vizcarra’s visit is...Continue reading
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