When she appeared as Pocohontas opposite Colin Farrell in Terrence Malick's drama "The New World," Q'orianka Kilcher drew not only on her talent but also on her empathy with indigenous Americans throughout the Western Hemisphere to craft an utterly persuasive performance as the legendary Indian princess.
What many viewers probably didn't realize is that Q'orianka's affinity for native peoples is more than simply a screen affectation. Born in Germany, the 19-year-old American actress is half Peruvian Indian on her father's side, of Quechua/Huachipaeri descent.
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While L.A. native Ann Kaneko was shooting her latest documentary in 2001, she witnessed a country gripped by terror, where those who raised awkward questions were often treated as troublemakers, traitors or worse, writes Reed Johnson in Calender.
Kaneko wasn't training her lens on the post-Sept. 11 United States. She was holed up in Lima, Peru, taking the pulse of the South American country that had been torn apart by a brutal Maoist guerrilla uprising and an equally ruthless government reprisal. Her focus was four Peruvian artists whose work challenged and criticized Peruvian society by examining issues of state-sponsored violence, governmental repression and class, ethnic and sexual prejudice.
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John Otis, writing for GlobalPost, takes a trip in the Peruvian Amazon jungle with a group of tourists to try the plant they call “the sacred vine of the soul.” "South American Indians have for centuries sought the assistance of ayahuasca, the plant they call 'the sacred vine of the soul.' With the guidance of a shaman, they drink a mix of ayahuasca vine and other plants to reach an ecstatic state, which they believe allows them to communicate with spirits, cleanse their bodies, and relieve a broad range of ailments.
"Now, new-age tourists from the United States and Europe are traveling to the rain forest to experience for themselves the hallucinogenic properties of the plant concoction. Some plunk down thousands of dollars to stay at jungle lodges where experienced medicine men guide them through the ritual."
Read the full report on Global Post here.
-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City
Gael Garcia Bernal's latest movie "Mammoth" might have received a frosty reception at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this month, but the same cannot be said for some of the other Latin American entries.
“The Milk of Sorrow / La Teta Asustada,” the first Peruvian film in the festival's main competition, won the top prize, the Golden Bear for best picture, on Saturday, reports the New York Times.
The film, about a young woman who was born as a result of her mother’s rape, was directed by Claudia Llosa and stars Magaly Solier.
Meanwhile, the Uruguayan-Argentine effort "Gigante" took three awards, including the Jury Grand Prix.
"Gigante" takes place in Montevideo and is about a guard at a supermarket who is in love with one of the employees whom he spies on through his many security cameras.
See trailers for both films in the embedded videos.
-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City
- If it's culture you're after, Peru and Mexico's state of Michoacán are listed in Forbes magazine as two of the top 10 destinations.
"Known both for its textiles and folk art as well as ancient structures and biodiversity, the OECD says Peru classifies 93% of its tourists as cultural tourists," says Lauren Sherman.
On the subject of the state of Michoacán in southern Mexico, Sherman writes: "Architecture and natural wonders may attract a tourist, but they won't keep him in one place for very long. That's why the southern Mexican state of Michoacán has moved past its rich cultural and natural heritage -- including archaeological sites, Hispanic architecture, volcanoes and beaches -- diversifying with local celebrations, festivals and museums in hopes of keeping visitors busy (and spending)."
-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City
More affordable computers and an expanding broadband network are two of the factors helping to push Internet use in Latin America, according to a survey conducted by Pyramid Research for Google.
The Miami Herald reports that the recent expansion of Internet users in Latin America has been dramatic.
In 2007, for example, Colombia added 5.4 million Internet users, or about 12% of its population of 45 million -- an 80% increase in the number of Colombia's Internet users that year.
Brazil added 7.4 million Internet users in 2007 (17% growth), Mexico more than 2.2 million (an 11% increase) and Venezuela 1.58 million (38% growth).
Read the full report through the link above.
-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City
Patrick J. McDonnell reports: President Bush and other world leaders vowed Sunday to act "quickly and decisively" to battle the global economic crisis as the 21-member APEC summit predicted worldwide recovery in 18 months.
But the final declaration from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum was short on specifics, beyond a vow by participating members to avoid pressures to implement "protectionist" measures, such as import restrictions.
"We are convinced that we can overcome this crisis in a period of 18 months," the leaders said in a forecast added to a statement originally issued Saturday.
The 18-month timeline reportedly was inserted at the insistence of Peruvian President Alan Garcia, who hosted the three-day session of Pacific Rim countries that account for about half of the world's economic output. "We are going to defeat this crisis," he vowed.
Asked about the 18-month prediction, Daniel Price, a White House economic advisor who was at the summit, told reporters that Bush "believes that the actions we are taking now will begin to produce results in the much nearer term, in the coming months," adding: "The president shares the confidence that we will be able to get through this crisis."
But several participants, including Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, described the 18-month timeline as more of a goal than a prediction.
Read more of "Bush, Asia-Pacific leaders vow action on economy" here.
Deborah Bonello in Mexico City
Photo: President Bush, on his final scheduled foreign trip, greets Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum leaders gather in Peruvian ponchos for a photo op at the Lima summit. Credit: Martin Bernetti / AFP/Getty Images
In the L.A. Times' World Briefing: Peruvian police arrested a man with 36 grenades in his backpack, days before 21 heads of state and government are to meet in Lima for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
The arrest of Edwin Valladolid, 31, comes as suspected holdouts of the Maoist Shining Path rebel group, which led a bloody rebellion until its leaders were captured in the 1990s, have launched a series of attacks in recent weeks.
On Sunday, the group shot dead three police officers and wounded a fourth in the Ayacucho region, about 350 miles southeast of Lima.
-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City
John Kiriakou, now in the private sector, served as a CIA counter-terrorism official from 1998 to 2004. Today, he writes in Los Angeles Times Opinion about how he thinks Iran is making major diplomatic inroads into Latin America, right under Washington's nose. It's amazing, really. Iran, after all, is regarded by most of the world as an outlaw country. Sanctions are in place on much of its military-industrial complex, and international loan guarantees are virtually impossible to come by. The Iranian economy is in tatters. Even while $100-plus oil was enriching most producers in the region, Iran's low-tech, outdated industry was barely profiting. In fact, 6% of the country's gasoline is imported.
Nevertheless, over the last year, Iran has worked diligently to expand relations with a host of Latin American countries, most of which have populist leaders who harbor a strong distrust of the United States and are looking for a powerful friend to help them rebuff Washington's influence.
Read the rest of "Iran's Latin America push" here.
— Deborah Bonello in Mexico City
 When Alan Garcia was elected president of Peru in 2006, it was regarded as one of the biggest comebacks ever in South American politics. Garcia's previous presidential tenure, from 1985 to 1990, had been scarred by economic chaos (inflation hit an incredible 7,600 percent) and the government's inability to keep its violent conflict with the Maoist Shining Path guerrilla movement from deteriorating into a virtual civil war.
Garcia took office two years ago vowing to be a steadier leader than in the past. But, as the L.A. Times' Patrick McDonnell reports, Garcia was forced to accept the resignation of his entire Cabinet on Friday "amid a sweeping bribery scandal that has rocked the government of a major U.S. ally."
Equally worrisome are signs of resurgent violence. "As the corruption case was unfolding, authorities also said Friday that an attack by leftist rebels on a rural military convoy killed at least 14 soldiers and civilians, the deadliest such strike in years."
-- Reed Johnson in Los Angeles
Photo: Alberto Quimper, a former executive with the state oil company, is escorted by police in Lima, Peru. Credit: Associated Press
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Chris Kraul
Mexico City:
Deborah Bonello
Ken Ellingwood
San Diego:
Richard Marosi
Washington:
Nicole Gaouette