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West Seattle Herald/White Center News Wednesday, March 12, 1997 9
:h's Priest
Phillip
his 25th
fl
al
[etnamese
gifts to
to sup-
Peru.
and
)ung
to the West-
in
and
"the His-
area was
I left to
serve in Peru in 1987, there were
about 150 Hispanics who attended
mass at Holy Family. Now, thou-
sands attend the two Spanish mass-
es at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 12:30
p.m. on Sunday."
BLOOM GAVE some insight on
the tense situation in Peru, where
the Tupac Amaru, the rebels who
stormed the Japanese Ambassador's
mansion, seized hundreds of
hostages on Dec. 17, 1996. (All but
72 men have since been released.)
"The Tupac Amaru is not just a
group of guerrillas, even though
they began as a rebel group pat-
terned after the Cuban Communists
like Fidel Castro," he explained.
"But in recent years, unfortunate-
ly, the rebels have become involved
with drug trafficking, which has a
terrible effect on the economy ...
because businesses are less likely to
invest, fewer jobs are available and
tourists stay away."
Bruce Savadow/staff
The Rev. Phillip Bloom, of Holy
Family Church, on Ash Wednes-
day.
When asked if he and the Mary
Bloom Center have come under
fire, by the government or the
rebels, Bloom says the only prob-
lem he's had is in dealing with the
bureaucracy.
"Like everywhere else," he
explains, "you've got to deal with
bureaucratic requirements -- but
more so in Peru than here."
EVEN SO, "We are now recog-
nized as a Peruvian Foundation and
a non-government agency," he said.
Bloom said that President Alberto
Fujimori's progressive reforms
were helping Peru.
"The people saw him as a very
hopeful person," he said.
"He's a dynamic, courageous
man who goes out to be with the
people," Bloom continued. "He also
visits the mountainous regions and
has brought computers to the
schools."
Fujimori is of Japanese ancestry,
born in Peru. "He speaks Japanese,
Spanish and English and studied in
Wisconsin," Bloom adds.
In spite of Fujimori's good inten-
tions, economic recovery has large-
ly gone unnoticed for the population
of 24 million.
"People don't have enough to
eat," he says. "But the rebels are
trying to win the hearts and minds
of the nation's poor, even though
most Peruvians do not approve of
the violent methods used by the
militant rebel groups."
Bloom says any effective reforms
undertaken by the government must
attack the root causes of poverty
plaguing the country.
Fujimori is currently meeting
with world leaders, seeking help
and input on the crisis.
For more infornu:tion on the Ma~.
Bloom Center, contact the Holy Fami-
ly Church at 9622 20th Ave. S.W.,
Seattle, WA 98106, 767-6220.
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