Cumanana I - ENG

APRIL 2021

NUMBER 1

Cumanana PERUVIAN CULTURE VIRTUAL BULLETIN FOR AFRICA MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

GREETINGS Introduction by Ambassador Allan Wagner Tizón, Minister of Foreign Affairs

PERUVIAN PRESENCE IN AFRICA A chronology of Peruvian Embassies

VARGAS LLOSA, CARLOS FUENTES AND NAGUIB MAHFUZ Reflecting Latin American and Egyptian societies in the mid-20th century

RECIPE Peruvian flavours with African influences

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WELCOME I am pleased to present you with this cultural bulletin, aimed at displaying the historical and cultural influence that Africa has had in Peru for almost five hundred years. Since then, cultural exchange ensued both directly – with the arrival of African peoples to America –, as well as subsidiarily, through fusions previously developed in Spain, particularly from the Maghrebi area.

This initiative also intends to enable intercultural dialogue, by means of realising and recognising common our values and traditions, as well as the possibilities that may transpire in benefit of both societies.

Therefore, this publication has been called “Cumanana”, a term that refers to an artistic expression, originated in the Afro-Peruvian community of northern Peru, which addresses different social and human phenomena, such as work, life or commerce.

Cumanana verses are also influenced by Spanish and Andean features, a blend common in Peruvian culture. This art, declared as Cultural Heritage of Peru in 2004, reflects the purpose of this bulletin: the exchange of cultural manifestations and the awareness of the realities of our nations, through articles penned by Peruvian and African specialists, in areas such as literature, diplomacy or history.

You are welcomed to peruse this first edition, and await for the next issues, which will be published in due course.

ALLAN WAGNER TIZON AMBASSADOR MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF PERU

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PERUVIAN PRESENCE IN AFRICA AMB. CARLOS ZAPATA LÓPEZ DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST AND GULF COUNTRIES

Peru has long recognised the opportunities and projection of Africa in the political-diplomatic and economic-commercial spheres. At the same time, the country highlights the deep, historical and cultural ties, which have helped to forge our national identity.

In view of this, several Peruvian foreign policy included the opening of diplomatic missions in Africa, which can lead to a chronological identification of the Peruvian historical presence in the continent.

Peru's first diplomatic relations with an African country were established with Egypt – then the United Arab Republic – on October 7th, 1963, and the opening of an Embassy, headed by Minister Augusto Morelli Pando as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. The Embassy in Cairo is the oldest Peruvian Mission in Africa.

Currently, the bilateral relationship is on excellent terms, especially in the areas of culture and agronomy. On the other hand, there is an active commercial exchange, which stands out in aspects such as colorants, fresh fruit, sea, and textile products.

A year later, on June 27th, 1964, the relationship with the Kingdom of Morocco was established and accompanied with the opening of the Peruvian Embassy in its capital, Rabat, by Ambassador Adhemar Montagne Sánchez, as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Peru in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.

Currently, the prosperous relationship is evidenced by a productive commercial exchange, especially of dyes, seeds, and textile products. Likewise, cooperation between the two countries focuses on the areas of agronomy, commerce, culture, science and technology.

Diplomatic relations with the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria were then established in 1972, and intensified with the opening of the Peruvian Embassy by

Peruvian Note Verbal for the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic of South Africa (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru

Minister Eduardo de Habich as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, three years later, on January 25th, 1975.

Currently, the positive relationship is reflected in Algerian investments in the Peruvian hydro carburants sector. Moreover, cooperation is active in areas such as academia, agronomy, science and technology.

PAGE 4 Additionally, there is a favourable commercial relationship, in which marine products, cocoa, and "super foods" stand out.

Nearing the end of the XX century, diplomatic relations between Peru and the Republic of South Africa were established on July 28th, 1993. The Peruvian Embassy in Pretoria was inaugurated by Minister Jorge Luis Valdez Carillo as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, on December 31st on that same year. It is also worth considering Peru's support for South Africa during the struggle against apartheid, particularly in the diplomatic field. In this area, Ambassador Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, as Secretary General of the United Nations, played a leading role in the transition process in South Africa, with calls and personal visits aimed to this purpose.

The special friendship between both countries is evidenced by the different actions leading to institutional cooperation. Likewise, South Africa is an important commercial partner of Peru, standing out particularly as one of the main export destinations for Peruvian gold; while South African investments stand out in areas such as brewing, mining, and agro-exports.

Although the diplomatic relations between Peru and the Republic of Ghana were established in 1987; The first Peruvian Embassy in West Africa was inaugurated in Accra, on October 23rd, 2013, appointing Counsellor Elliot Gaviria as Head of Mission. It is the most recent representation of Peru on this continent.

Since then, the Embassy has organized a series of cultural and culinary diffusion activities, with the aim of raising awareness of both the potential of the relationship – supported by a lively growth in the commercial area, through the exchange of colorants, dairy and marine products –, and the centuries-old ties that unite both nations.

To date, these five embassies remain, although Peru has the purpose of expanding its presence in Africa through the opening of additional legations, counting on precedents such as the Embassies in the Republic of Kenya, between 1987 and 1990, headed by Ambassador Fortunato Isasi Cayo; and in the Republic of Zimbabwe, opened by Counsellor Luis Sandiga, between 1986 and 1990.

Designation of Minister Morelli to the United Arab Republic (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Moreover, additional initiatives are developed to promote a rapprochement with this vast continent. By means of communication technologies, Peru wishes to further contact between government representatives and civil society from both sides, pointed to bring an auspicious relationship that benefits our citizens and promote sustainable development.

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THE TIME OF THE HERO, WHERE THE AIR IS CLEAR, AND CAIRO MODERN, AS A REFLECTION OF LATIN AND EGYPTIAN SOCIETIES IN THE MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY * DR. MOHAMED NAGY MOAAZ AL ALSUN FACULTY ASSISTANT, KAFR EL SHEIKH UNIVERSITY

It is well known that literature is considered a mirror that reflects social events to which writers are interested in responding, presenting solutions to the problems faced by human beings in their daily lives.

Egypt and Latin America went through very similar events, especially in the mid-XX century. Thus, to reflect on the Latin American society, we have chosen two evocative novels: one, “Where the air is clear”, by Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, and the other, “The time of the hero”, by Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa. To ponder on the Egyptian society of that time, we have chosen the novel "Cairo Modern" by Naguib Mahfuz.

The selected authors were particularly concerned with the issues happening in their countries, and reflected their worries since their initial writings. Likewise, the three chosen books belong to the same literary movement: “social-realism”, which appeared frequently in mid-XX century literature to focus on societal topics and public struggles.

Mahfuz arose in 1930s Egypt, searching in the secrets of the past, thus producing his first historical work, “The struggle of Thebes”, which became very famous at that time. Yet the young author was mostly interested in the social, moral, cultural and political situation of his country. Therefore, he decided to represent his perspective of the vices of society in his accounts. Hence, he wrote "Cairo Modern", uncovering social tragedy.

Among his most important creations, in which Mahfuz described political and social issues, works such as “Autumn quail”, “Karnak Café”, “The false dawn”, “The beginning and end”, and “The beggar”, are included. Most of them have been translated into Spanish, including “Cairo Modern”, in various versions. We have chosen Marcelino Villegas González’s translation since, from our humble point of view, it is the closest Arabic version to the original work.

With “Cairo Modern”, Mahfuz portrayed a realistic image of the social, moral, cultural and political events that happened in Cairo during the 1930s, raising some social questions and themes such as the political repression, the dictatorial regime, the conflict between social classes, string-pulling, bribery, and corruption. He also dealt with the conflict between wealth and misery, as well as virtues and vices, in society.

Moreover, we find a portrait of Egyptian daily life, presenting a historical testimony of the society at that time, while describing its psychological state, through the narratives of four university students who represented the events and shocks that were taking place in that society.

In Peru, Vargas Llosa decided to reflect a personal experience as a testimony of the 1950s Peruvian society,

PAGE 5 thus witing “The time of the hero”. The book presents this experience through the stories of four young people who embodied the groups that coexisted in the city of Lima at that time, addressing the problems that society faced, such as the conflict between social classes, poverty, or prostitution.

Vargas Llosa began his literary career with “The time of the hero”, displaying the different aspects of Peruvian society during the fifties. Later, he wrote “Conversation in the Cathedral”, a novel that delves into the moral corruption and political repression that Peru experienced during General Manuel Odría’s dictatorship. In contrast, the author analysed Peruvian society from a comic perspective, through his book “Captain Pantoja and the Special Service”.

Vargas Llosa’s compositions criticize all aspects of society – Peruvian and Latin American – with “The feast of the goat”, through which he judged the political regimes in the region, especially in the Dominican Republic.

At the beginning of the 1950s, a book emerged in Mexico, referring to the events following the failure of the 1910 Revolution. This book was called “Where the air is clear”.

Written by Carlos Fuentes, it achieved recognition due to its thematic diversity, being considered the first that candidly dealt with the social aspects and consequences of the revolution, both in Mexico and other Latin American countries: contemporary authors could not, at that time, transmit their ideas on social and political issues due to the censorship imposed throughout the continent. (...)

Among Fuentes's works, I chose “Where the air is clear”, as an example through which the author delves in the conflicts that the Mexican society faced during the forty years of Revolutionary government, despite the persistence of poverty and social inequality in the country. The novel was published in 1958, and focused on the means applied by successive corruption-prone governments, conveying a greater role to the figure of the Caudillo.

Furthermore, the image of politicians who worked as entrepreneurs, using privileged information from the government for their personal benefit and the development of their investments, was exposed.

In addition to the fact that the three authors are considered the most outstanding in their societies,

since Mahfuz and Vargas Llosa achieved a Nobel Prize each, and Fuentes was a candidate to the award; the three come together in posing the social issues that appear in their works, especially those chosen for this analysis.

During the XX century, Latin America and Egypt went through very similar events, prompting leading authors of that time to explore these events in their literary works.

Between the two societies, we can underline common matters, already represented in “Where the air is clear”, “The time of the hero” and “Cairo Modern”. For example, in Fuentes' work the character Gladys García stands out, as the prostitute who described a sad city of Mexico, where its inhabitants are like ghosts that mistreat her. (...)

In Vargas Llosa's work, the prostitute Pies Dorados stands out, as the character played an important role in the lives of the military academy students. Pies Dorados is a poor girl who embodied a large part of the society, as she decided to become a prostitute in exchange of 20 soles to support herself.

On the other hand, Mahfuz's work offers the same role to Ihsan, who bears prostitution to save her family from poverty. Thus, the similarity between the characters in the novels encourages us to say that the two societies suffered from the same social problems. While “Where the air is clear” and “The time of the hero” highlight the bourgeois, the intellectuals, the revolutionaries and the prostitutes; these same characters also appear in Mahfuz, represented by the upper bourgeoisie, the intellectual revolutionaries and the prostitutes who fought against poverty.

What draws our attention in the three works is that the three cities play an important role, where both Fuentes and Vargas Llosa not only refer to social struggles in the cities of Mexico or Lima, but also provide a historical testimony of the social, moral, cultural, economic and political situation during the XX century. Then again, Mahfuz portrays the same perspective of the city of Cairo, staging the social classes of that time. Thus, we can say that all these writers seek for the identity of the two societies.

Closing remarks In “The time of the hero”, Vargas Llosa criticizes all aspects of Peruvian society, as he turned a personal experience into a testimony of a society full of corruption and social

PAGE 6 matters such as poverty, social class conflict, and prostitution. Through his literary work, Vargas Llosa leads us to that image of the Lima society during the 1950s.

In “Where the air is clear”, Fuentes critiques all attempts to develop Mexico City since, through symbolic characters, the pre-Hispanic past is mixed with the present of the XX century. Fuentes explains how the city Mexico has lost its glory to become a city full of chaos and corruption. These aspects are clearly shown through the contrast between the ways of life of the characters, and the streets and neighbourhoods in which they live.

In “Cairo Modern”, Mahfuz draws a symbolic image of a city full of social, moral and political corruption, using Mahyoub Abd Eldayem to represent the suffering of the lower class, abated by poverty and forced to follow Kasem Basha's orders.

_________________________ * EXCERPT FROM THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE, AVAILABLE IN "CULTURA "DEL PERÚ EN EGIPTO", VOLUME II, EMBASSY OF PERU IN EGYPT, 2021, PP. 240-259

RECIPE: SECO DE CORDERO Specialist Gloria Hinostroza explains: "Seco is a stew of Arab origin that has been known [in Peru] since colonial times, where it was called Seco Tajime, and it was prepared with mutton.

Thus, the Spanish recipes that arrived to the New Continent had already been influenced by Arab cuisine, especially from the Maghreb, adopting the use of lemon, rice, and spices, such as coriander, mint, parsley or ginger.

INGREDIENTS 1 kg of lamb leg in pieces 2 chopped onions (300 gr) 2 tomatoes, chopped and peeled (240 gr) 2 garlic cloves, minced (4 gr) 3 roasted peppers, peeled (450 gr) 1 cup of black beer (250 ml) ½ cup of cilantro, blended (50 gr) 1 green ají (or pickled chili), sliced in thin strips (100 gr) Zest of 1 orange (150 gr) PREPARATION Marinate the pieces of lamb in beer, pepper, minced garlic, tomato and orange zest for 12 hours.

Remove the lamb from the mix and seal it in hot oil.

Reserve.

In the same saucepan, sweat the onion, the coriander, and the ají or chili.

Add the juice from the maceration, then the lamb and cook over medium heat for 60 minutes.

If the liquid reduces too much, add hot meat broth.

Let stand for 5 minutes off the heat and serve with plenty of sauce.

Serve with beans, rice, or fried plantain.