President José María Balcázar announced on March 20 that his government has begun addressing what he called a historic debt to the Puno region by prioritizing investments in water, sanitation, education, and social development. The announcement was made during a ceremony at the Government Palace for the signing of a loan contract to finance the first phase of the “Improvement and expansion of drinking water and sanitation services with a circular economy approach in the Lurín and Puno basins” program.
The initiative is significant as it aims to close gaps in access to essential services for communities that have historically been excluded from national development efforts. According to President Balcázar, “Then I believe that with Puno we have, as I say, a historic debt. I have said it on several occasions. The Quechua and Aymara brothers were not included by the elites who have governed this country. And we are committed to including them decisively.”
Balcázar said his administration will not spare any effort to ensure all Peruvians can access basic services equally. He recalled instructing his housing minister from day one to prioritize Puno: “We must not in any way skimp on investment work so that all brothers of Peru have immediate access… On the first day I told the Minister of Housing, among your priorities, you are in charge of Puno. And today we see results,” he said.
The president also highlighted that nearly 3.3 million people nationwide lack access to drinking water—about 9.7% of Peru’s population—and more than 6.9 million do not have adequate sanitation services. In Puno alone, around 268,000 people still lack safe water access.
The new program represents an investment close to one billion soles and is expected to benefit over 200,000 citizens initially, eventually reaching nearly one million people across Lima and Puno through later phases. The project includes a circular economy approach aimed at improving environmental quality and protecting water resources such as Lake Titicaca.
“Ladies and compatriots, this government reaffirms its commitment to prioritized management for people, acting with fiscal responsibility and executing effectively,” Balcázar said.
