Tag: Peru

Montegrade, Peru, Origins of Cacao
EcoJustice Radio

Montegrande: Ancient Amazonian Temple Reveals World’s First Cacao Cultivation

EcoJustice Radio host Jack Eidt spoke with Karen Gordon, an associate at ASICAMPE, the nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research in the Peruvian Amazon. They explored the significance of Montegrande, a site that has revealed traces of cacao in 6,000-year-old ceremonial pottery vessels, making it the oldest known monumental temple site in Peru.

Mysteries, Rituals and Traditions

Ayahuasca: Fake Shamans and The Divine Vine of Immortality

Every day, more and more tourists arrive in Iquitos, Peru, seeking spiritual enlightenment or a psychedelic experience first made popular by William Burroughs and the Beatniks in the 1960s. Unfortunately, some well-paid “shamans” lack the experience or understanding of the powerful and sacred botanical brews used for thousands of years for healing and divination. And the gringos-on-holiday often get over their heads in the wilds of the Amazon.

Orlando L'etelier, Chile
Political Geography

Operation Condor: Eradicating South American “Communism” at Any Cost

In the name of the struggle against terrorism, a special operation — code named CONDOR – was conducted in the 1970s and 80s in South America. Its targets were left wing political dissidents, the organised labour and intellectuals. Condor soon became a network of military dictatorships, supported by the US State Department, the CIA and Interpol. A trial began in early March in Buenos Aires to attempt to bring to justice former dictators and military officers.