The Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Cusco has signed a diabolical deal with Starbucks and is forcing the traditional (and affordable) Cafe Ayllu in Cusco to look elsewhere by quadrupling the rent and demanding 10% of their sales.
Documentary highlighting the history of Cafe Ayllu in Cusco / Part 2 of video here
American expat, Barbara Drake and British expat, Stuart Starr both highlight in their blogs the corruption and desecration of Cusco’s world famous Plaza de Armas by Lima elitists and the Roman Catholic church in Peru.
Starbucks (USA) and the Vatican both deserve to share in the collective shame and sacrilege that is occuring in Cusco.
It is agreed that the people of Cusco must rise up to stop these decrepit acts, however, global citizens should petition the Vatican and Starbucks (USA) to condemn the corruption of the Archbishop of Cusco and (Starbuck’s Licensee) Starbucks Peru.
Excerpt from American in Lima:
I’ve raised my voice several times against the archbishop’s greed and his callous treatment of local restaurant owners in Cusco. Along the same side of the Plaza de Armas, McDonald’s has already set up shop, to be joined by Kentucky Fried Chicken. These businesses don’t belong on the Plaza de Armas, which is recognized as one of the most historic squares in the Western Hemisphere. Nor should these Amerian franchises be priviledged over Peruvian businesses. They harm Cusco in both real and symbolic ways, and the Church should respect the sanctity of this great square.
Read Barbara Drake’s “American in Lima” blog for full story…
Excerpt from En Peru blog:
Passions continued to run high when it was announced that a local legend, the Ayllu coffee house that had been a favourite with travellers and locals for years, was to be closed so that a Starbucks could be opened in its place.
Apparently Starbucks could afford to pay a higher rent that “people before profits” Ayllu just couldn’t match. Protests from locals and tourists couldn’t change the owners minds.
So, is Cusco selling its soul to the devil, and if so, who exactly is doing the selling?
It couldn’t be the Catholic church could it?
Filed under: Gastronomy, Politics, Travel | Tagged: american in lima blog, archbishop cuzco, catholic church in peru, catholic corruption, colonial cuzco, colonial peru, cusco, elitistas, elitists, en peru blog, globalization, incan temples, incas, Plaza de Armas, Starbucks, starbucks peru, vatican
Good ideas, Rachel.
Concerned Americans can make their voices heard by petitioning Starbucks. Back in the early ’70s, people would have probably set up information tables outside local Starbucks and educated consumers about Starbucks’ action abroad.
If anybody has been to Cuzco they have been to Cafe Ayllu. It was the first cafe my husband and I went to when we first visited the imperial city.
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