United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Administrator Wade Warren visited Peru on May 10-12 to meet with government authorities and promote the agency’s ongoing cooperation activities in the Inca nation, U.S. Embassy in Peru reported.
On May 11, the USAID official and U.S. Ambassador to Peru Brian A. Nichols met with Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Prime Minister Fernando Zavala and Authority for Reconstruction with Changes (RCC) Executive Director Pablo de la Flor.
As part of the dialogue, USAID's Acting Administrator and Ambassador Nichols affirmed their support for Peru's reconstruction following recent "Coastal El Niño" phenomenon flooding.
To date, the North American nation has contributed more than US$3.3 million through USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), which will provide further funds for the RCC process.
Precisely, Warren's visit focused on revising the agency's long-standing cooperation ties with Peru.
On May 12, Acting Administrator Warren and Ambassador Nichols visited alternative development sites in Pucallpa (Ucayali region) to oversee USAID's work.
Once invaded by coca growing and insecurity, the area is now home to farmers who are successfully replacing coca production with high-value crops like cacao.
The U.S. officials also met with representatives of Peru Cacao Alliance, a public-private agroforestry and cacao cooperation initiative supported by the U.S. government through USAID.
Lastly, Warren and his team visited logging sites, where USAID is partnering with the Government of Peru to formalize logging and combat illegal deforestation.
To conclude his visit, Warren reiterated USAID's commitment to continue to cooperate with Peru's development.
Efforts will be mainly geared towards combating corruption, environmental crimes and illegal gold mining, as well as promoting alternative rural development and sustainable management of Peru's rich biodiversity.
Sarah-Ann Lynch, Acting Assistant Administrator for USAID's Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, joined other representatives.
(END) NDP/DHT/MVB