Pueblos jóvenes

Literally meaning "young towns", "pueblos jóvenes" is the nickname given to the vast shanty towns that surround Lima and other cities of Peru. Many of these towns have developed into significant districts in Lima such as Villa El Salvador and Comas.

Population

They are populated almost exclusively by Black, Amerindian, and mestizo campesinos who since the 1940s have migrated in great waves from Peru's countryside in search of economic opportunity, turning Lima into the fifth-largest city in the Americas.

Living conditions

The towns are composed of poorly-constructed shacks which generally lack running water, electricity, and other basic services. In both appearance and culture, they are similar to the favelas of Brazil and other Latin American cities. Crime is rampant.

Work to improve life in these areas is carried on by organisations such as the NGO Asociacion SOLAC and the theatre group Vichama.

Politics

Many of the dwellings are painted with the colors of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), the Socialist Party of Peru, or political candidates. Some still bear the logo of now convicted three-term president Alberto Fujimori, sometimes because the resident hasn't had the time or money to repaint their dwelling, sometimes because they still support Fujimori.

President Alejandro Toledo, Fujimori's successor, pushed through various initiatives to encourage peasants to return to the farming and mining communities whence they came, but they have not been effective.

Gallery

Examples in other countries

* Arrabal (Puerto Rico)
* Asentamiento (Guatemala)
* Barrio (Venezuela)
* Barrio Marginado (Honduras)
* Barrio Marginal (Ecuador)
* Cantegril (Uruguay)
* Colonia (Mexico)
* Favela (Brazil)
* Población callampa (Chile)
* Tugurio or Precario (Costa Rica)
* Villa Miseria (Argentina)
* Chacarita (Paraguay)

See also

* Colonia (border settlement)
* Favelas
* Squatting