Words in the News Monday 30th July 2001 Vocabulary from the news. Listen to and read the report then find explanations of difficult words below.
New President for Peru Summary: Peru's new leader, Alejandro Toledo, is the first elected President of Indian descent and has taken part in a native ceremony to mark his becoming president.
On his first full day as President, Alejandro Toledo is making the most of his Andean roots and has taken part in a symbolic ritual at the ruins of Machu Picchu. The famous citadel, perched high in the mountains was once a key centre of the Inca empire. Whilst Mr. Toledo himself wasn't in traditional dress, local priests clad in brightly coloured hats and ponchos, performed the half hour ceremony. Speaking the native Quechua language, they burnt offerings of flowers and coca leaves and called on the gods to bless the government. Regional leaders who had also been flown by helicopter to the site looked on. However, the task facing Mr. Toledo once the festivities are over is immense. He'll be under intense pressure to fulfil election pledges to create jobs and raise wages. Half of Peru's twenty-six million people live in poverty and it's these people who are expecting their ancestral brother to deliver.
