USAID Peru offered a reception to recognize USAID’s long-standing partners, and gave the Wiñay Award to three of them who have made significant and sustained contributions to Peru’s development. Wiñay is a Quechua word meaning “progress”.

Krishna Urs, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Peru, and Lawrence Rubey, USAID Peru Mission Director, gave USAID/Peru’s first-ever “Wiñay Awards” to José San Martín, Carmen Masías and Flor de María Vega. José San Martin is General Manager of Romex Exports, partner of the Peru Cacao Alliance, one of the main USAID private public partnerships. Carmen Masías is co-founder and co-director of CEDRO, Information and Education Center for the Prevention of Drug Abuse, and Flor de María Vega is Peru’s National Coordinator for Environmental Prosecutors and winner of this year’s International Women of Courage Award.

José San Martin received the Wiñay award for helping thousands of families who harvest cacao to sell their products in Lima and in international markets, managing to increase their income. Carmen Masías was awarded for her constant and hard work promoting development, helping thousands of families in vulnerable areas to leave behind the illegal cultivation of coca and integrate into legal life. And Flor de María Vega received this award for her hard work in the fight against illegal mining and illegal logging.  

Lawrence Rubey, USAID Peru Mission Director said: "This is not a prize for the institutions; we want to go further and recognize people. Thanks to their work, Peru is a prosperous, more inclusive country that promotes a legal life and where natural resources are protected ".

The U.S. Government has provided sustained development assistance in Peru for over 70 years, through USAID it has partnered with Peru on more than 1,500 development programs and invested more than $3.6 billion in Peru. As USAID support has evolved from traditional development assistance to a mutually beneficial strategic partnership, the U.S. Government depends on strong allies in the public and private sectors, as well as civil society, to achieve its foreign policy objectives in Peru and the Hemisphere.