More than 1,000 students began the 2026 school year at Pedro Vilcapaza Alarcón School in Azángaro province, Puno region, as Minister of Production César Quispe Luján led activities for the “Buen Inicio del Año Escolar 2026” on March 16. The event reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening education and coordinating efforts across sectors to ensure a timely and successful start for all students.
The ceremony was attended by regional governor Richard Hancco Soncco, Azángaro mayor Salvador Apaza Flores, school director Jorge Roger Deza Coasaca, UGEL Puno director Alina Gómez Charaja, teachers, students, and parents. The minister highlighted the school’s long-standing role in shaping leaders. “This school has spent 60 years being a seedbed of great Peruvians. Governors and mayors have graduated from here, and we reiterate that innovation and talent are what will allow our country to develop. To you, nearly 1,200 students, we wish you the best. Peru needs your energy and knowledge,” Quispe Luján said.
As part of the new school year’s launch, the Ministry of Production organized an educational demonstration through its “A Comer Pescado” program to promote responsible consumption of aquatic products and support food security within the school community. Educational experiences included projects using fish-based materials by preschool and secondary levels. The PESCAEduca initiative was also presented with materials developed by specialists from both PNACP and regional education authorities.
Parents prepared fish-based lunches for display while students participated in games highlighting the benefits of consuming aquatic products. In Puno during 2025, similar educational demonstrations were held at 41 schools benefiting over 5,550 students; nationwide more than 789 schools participated with training reaching over 10,478 teachers, more than 53,871 families, and about 56,538 students. For 2026 there are plans to reach over 1,500 schools nationally—including interventions at sixty institutions in Puno alone—benefiting more than six thousand local students.
Minister Quispe Luján also inaugurated the “Fortalece Tu Mercado” strategy in Azángaro as part of his visit. The National Program Tu Empresa trained over two hundred market vendors from Santa Rosa and Pedro Vilcapaza markets on business management topics such as digitalization and access to financing tools. He toured Santa Rosa market with Marybel Vidal from the National Productive Diversification Program; work is underway on technical documentation for improvements at this market so that municipal authorities can begin construction soon.
The agenda included meetings with local mining cooperatives to discuss progress toward responsible mining practices as well as coordination meetings with officials regarding heavy rains linked to El Niño phenomena. The Ministry reiterated its commitment to dialogue across sectors for sustainable development in Peru’s regions.
