El Comercio is the oldest surviving newspaper in Peru. It was founded in 1839 and its circulation is about 120,000.

The centre-right newspaper is said to be the most respected of the Peruvian newspapers and has had a long history to make it so. Independence and Truth was its motto through the late 1800’s and until challenged by the military Government of left-leaning Juan Velasco Alvarado who seized the newspaper, and the country, in the 1970s. Independence and Truth were put on hold as Velasco persecuted dissidents and political enemies. When the democratic Government re-took power after an economic collapse, the paper was given back to its private owners as its first act.

Now in the 1980’s the Miró Quesada family were the majority shareholders as they had been since its founding. Back to Independence and Truth, the paper was able to criticise an incompetent García Government and later the dictatorial and corrupt Fujimori Government.

The newspaper remains the most popular in the country and produces an equally popular left-leaning magazine Somos.

Today’s news:

• Peru and Venezuela are talking again after a break in diplomatic contact when Chavez tried to influence the Peruvian elections
• A Dutch pirate ship has been discovered off the coast of an Arequipa port.
• Heavy rains and spreading Dengue fever in jungle and mountain areas
• Ollanta Humala’s trip to a Government cabinet meeting where he seemed overwhelmed.
• Nolberto Solano’s penalty in the English Premier League
• Five terrorists arrested in Piura
• Temperature expected to climb to 30ºc tomorrow in Lima

Tags: business, coup, el comercio, fujimori, garcia, government, military, newspaper, quesada, velasco