* Peru’s economy and finance minister, Alex Contreras, has announced that the government will send a spending package to congress within the next three weeks requesting the disbursement of PEN3bn (US$822.7m) to fund its response to the El Niño weather phenomenon. Contreras said that the government is already transferring funds to regions likely to face flooding or other extreme weather, including Piura, Lambayeque, and La Libertad, to enable a coordinated response between national, regional and local governments.