Government: Peru Poverty Rate Rises for First Time in 16 Years

Peru's poverty rate increased last year for the first time since 2001, rising one percentage point to 21.7 percent, according to government data published Tuesday. Peru had slashed its poverty rate by an average of about 4 percentage points between 2006 and 2012 on surging prices for the country's key mineral exports. But the decline slowed in recent years as the global commodities boom retreated. A massive graft scandal and repeated clashes between the legislative and executive branches stifled...