Que Pasa? : Peru’s President Says Policies Are Working

Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori said little about his “self-coup” in a visit to Los Angeles last month in which he wasted no time in talking up his country’s progress on a number of fronts. Fujimori said he has reined in terrorism by capturing the leaders of the Shining Path insurgency group and managed to lower inflation from more than 7,000% in 1990 to 60% last year. Addressing a packed audience at a World Affairs Council luncheon, Fujimori said that, in his four years as president, he has transformed Peru into a stable and safe country. Fujimori, who was on his way home from a trip to Japan, also said he has forged a united democracy in partnership with the newly elected Congress, which replaced one that he dissolved last year.

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KVEA’s New VIP: Jose Ronstadt, former host of the Univision program “Hola America,” has been named general manager and senior vice president of KVEA Channel 52, the Telemundo network affiliate in Los Angeles. Ronstadt, a cousin of singer Linda Ronstadt, replaced Augustine Martinez at KVEA. In the late ‘80s, Ronstadt was the general manager of Univision’s Phoenix affiliate. Since then he has proved to be an innovative producer with programs such as “Teleradio,” a morning talk show in Phoenix, and “Voces del Pueblo,” a town hall meeting program that united audiences in Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Antonio.

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Belated Decorations: John Armas, a prisoner of war for more than a year during World War II, had to wait 49 years for community recognition for service to his country. The 68-year-old resident of Elysian Park was honored by Montebello at its recent Memorial Day celebration for an array of medals that include five Bronze Stars. “I don’t know how I survived,” joked Armas, a Mexican-American who faced enemy fire as a U.S. Army sergeant during the invasion of France in 1944. “I always figured the Germans couldn’t shoot.” He was among about 300 soldiers captured by the Germans and was released in late 1945. When he was mustered out, he received a list of his decorations, but not the medals. He forgot about them until inexplicably they started arriving in the mail soon after Operation Desert Storm.

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Expanded Learning: The Puente Learning Center in Boyle Heights is growing by leaps and bounds. What started as a children’s tutorial center in 1985 today serves as a learning and job training center, offering services to 1,400 students a day, from toddlers to senior citizens. The center plans to open a job referral office this month, with a grant from the Whitecap Foundation, to help find jobs for students in its English-language, computer and office work classes.