LatinNews Daily - 16 June 2023

* Peru’s President Dina Boluarte has announced that the government has approved PEN1.2bn (US$329.5m) in spending to address the impact of this year’s El Niño weather phenomenon. Boluarte issued two decrees, which she said will enable the government to take over 600 actions, which will be focussed on the regions of Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Áncash, Ica, and the capital Lima. These actions will include the digging and maintenance of drainage ditches to reduce the vulnerability of riverside populations. Peru has already suffered from extreme weather this year with major flooding caused by the arrival of cyclone Yaku in March. Warm weather associated with El Niño, the impact of which is now beginning to be felt, has also been pointed to by scientists as an aggravating factor in the current outbreak of dengue fever, which is Peru’s worst on record. Yesterday, health minister Rosa Gutiérrez resigned amid accusations that she has mishandled the outbreak.