LIMA, Jan 17 (NNN-ANDINA) — Pres Dina Boluarte met with members of the Interreligious Council of Peru, with whom she agreed on the importance of further strengthening dialogue and social peace in the country.
During the Monday meeting, held at the Government Palace, the attendees advocated for the construction of a peaceful country without disagreements, where spaces to speak, listen, and move along the path of unity and development can be opened.
The Head of State thanked the religious leaders for their interest and concern in joining the search for social peace in the country and stressed the need for dialogue to be sustained over time among all Peruvians.
At the end of the meeting, the head of the Interreligious Council of Peru and representative of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Salvador Piñeiro, indicated that they (the religious leaders) are raising their prayers to make Peru a country of brothers (and sisters), where tolerance, understanding, and solidarity prevail.
For her part, the Executive Secretary of the Interreligious Council Laura Vargas expressed willingness to promote dialogue and forgiveness, as well as to travel —to that end— to the region where communication and peace need to be strengthened.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Union of Evangelical Christian Churches of Peru, the Conference of Religious Men and Women of Peru, the National Evangelical Council of Peru, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Jewish Association of Peru, the Islamic Association of Peru, and the Bahá’í Community of Peru.
Participants also included representatives of the Anglican Church of Peru, the Lutheran Church of Peru, the Soto Zen Buddhist Community of Peru, the Brahma Kumaris in Peru, the Interfaith Network of Women of Faith and Spirituality, the Religions for Peace Peru Youth Network, and Religions for Peace, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Interreligious Council of Peru is an organization that provides a space for meeting, dialogue and fraternity among the religious communities with deep historical roots in the country, which encourages, promotes and mobilizes cooperation, through justice, peace, and solidarity actions.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Alberto Otarola affirmed that the Government has been building bridges of dialogue with the regions of Puno and Cusco, to put an end to acts of violence and to lead the development projects that the population needs, in addition to working together hand in hand with local and regional authorities.
In an interview with Latina TV channel, he said that there is a budget that must be implemented to benefit the population, noting that it is urgent to discuss with representatives of the regions where violent protests were reported.
“We are dedicated to building dialogue bridges with Puno and Cusco at this moment. We are sure that we will succeed,” the head of the Ministerial Cabinet remarked.
“Puno has a budget of S/2.600 billion (about US$683.8 million) encompassing the three levels of government that must be executed this year,” he added.
The government official stated that the regional governor must understand that Peru needs to implement this budget in the most efficient and effective way in order to meet the great needs of the region.
Otarola underscored that a broad and sincere dialogue is expected in this context, since citizen protests have declined in size throughout the country.
In addition, the Prime Minister stressed that Executive Branch representatives have engaged in a constant dialogue with regional governors to meet the population’s demands and unlock blocked projects. — NNN-ANDINA
