Latin American countries
offer aid, condolences
to Peru after quake
Latin American
governments have pledged
to provide humanitarian
aid to Peru after
Wednesday's devastating
quake measuring 7.9 on
the Richter scale that
killed more than 500
people, injured
thousands and left
80,000 homeless.
Argentina has pledged to
send tarpaulins,
blankets, medicine and
water purifying
equipment to Peru,
Foreign Minister Jorge
Taiana told a press
conference Thursday.
Taiana said he had
expressed the
government's solidarity
with Peru to Peruvian
President Alan Garcia by
telephone. Argentine
President Nestor
Kirchner has sent a
condolence letter after
the deadly quake.
Gabriel Fuks, head of
the Argentine
humanitarian corps, the
White Helmets, said aid
would reach Peru within
24 hours. The country's
social development,
health, foreign and
defense ministers will
monitor events in Peru.
Peru's neighbor Ecuador,
which felt the quake but
suffered no damage, said
it would send aid to the
quake-ravaged country,
but did not give
details.
"The civil defense
authorities of our two
nations will cooperate,"
Maria Fernanda Espinosa,
Ecuador's Civil Defense
Minister said in a
statement. "It is
important for the
Peruvian government to
know that it can count
on us," she added.
Brazil's President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva
sent a message of
solidarity to Peru
Thursday, offering
humanitarian aid, the
Brazilian Foreign
Ministry said in a
statement. It added that
Brazil's embassy in Peru
would be in close
contact with local
hospitals.
Bolivia has airlifted 12
tons of food and
medicine to Peru,
according to Bolivian
Defense Minister Walker
San Miguel. He also
expressed the
government's
condolences.
Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe said
Thursday he was
preparing to travel to
Peru Sunday to express
his personal condolences
to President Alan
Garcia, and Peruvians in
general.
Colombia will offer Peru
five tons of aid
including food, drinking
water, plastic
materials, blankets,
tarpaulins, medicine and
other aid. Uribe said
Colombia would also help
Peru with rescue
efforts.
Colombia's specialist
rescue teams are
planning to travel to
Peru to help in the
search-and-rescue
operations. The
Colombian Red Cross has
set up a bank account to
receive donations.
Chilean government
officials said they
would send emergency aid
to Peru by a Hercules
aircraft and have
started consultations to
evaluate what the
country needs most.
"Chile's National
Emergency Office will
make contact with its
Peruvian counterpart to
coordinate the aid Chile
can provide to the
Peruvian government,"
said Chilean government
spokesman Ricardo Lagos
Weber.
Chilean President
Michelle Bachelet will
speak to her Peruvian
counterpart to extend
her nation's
condolences, Lagos said,
adding that Chile has
set aside the two
nations' diplomatic
squabble over maritime
territory due to the
crisis.
Mexican President Felipe
Calderon also conveyed
his condolences to
President Garcia, the
Mexican government said
in a statement. Calderon
said he would order
Mexico's civil defense
department to send aid
to Peru, it added.
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