Port Miami announced Tuesday that it had taken delivery of its first direct shipment of Peruvian blueberries, under a cold treatment pilot program authorized by the United States Department of Agriculture. The program began last October and has opened a new trade route between Peru and Miami by allowing the direct import of cold-treated grapes and blueberries directly to Miami.

Peru's economy in February and March will "definitely" grow at a faster pace than January's 4.23 percent year-on-year expansion, central bank President Julio Velarde said on Wednesday.

The monetary authority was surprised at January's growth rate, Velarde said, adding that productivity was hit by a dip in output from a large mine. He did not specify which mine.

The central bank still expects growth of around 6 percent this year. "If it doesn't grow 6 percent it will likely grow by 5.9 percent," Velarde said. 

Consumer prices in Peru will likely rise by 0.45 percent or less in March, up to half the rate posted in the same month last year, Central Bank President Julio Velarde said on Wednesday. 

Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP), the country's largest bank by assets, has predicted that the Peruvian economy will grow by 5.3 percent this year, driven by higher public spending and rising mining and fishing exports.

Juan Carlos Odar, a senior analyst at BCP in Lima, said that Peru's economic expansion in 2014 will be at similar levels as 2013, with higher growth expected for the second half of the year. 

The 2014 edition of Norte Exporta will be held March 20 with hopes of generating at least $50 million in sales and attracting 50 foreign buyers over the day-long business roundtable in Lima. 

Because the best trips don't have to be far away or expensive, have a look at some of these places near to Lima that you can visit over Easter holiday weekend. 

Mention Peru to most travelers and the words Machu Picchu will come shooting back. This storied mountaintop site, the famed "lost city of the Incas," is all majesty and mystery and is rightly at the center of Peru's tourism industry (though many fear that its very popularity may destroy it). To get to Machu Picchu, most travelers spend a day in and around the capital, Lima. If that's your plan, here are our suggestions on how to make the most of your stopover. 

Renowned Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio spoke about the importance of investing in innovation to boost Peru's economic growth during the 4th "Visiones" Forum held on Tuesday in Lima.

Acurio and Peruvian Minister of Housing, Construction and Sanitation Milton Von Hesse were the keynote speakers on the conference "Recipes for innovation: Beyond the success of the Peruvian gastronomy."

Juan Diego Fl�rez breezes into the backstage corridors of the Royal Opera House, fresh from the tennis court. No matter that the day before he had performed the popular yet fiendish Donizetti opera La Fille du R�giment - the one with the aria with nine top Cs; it is all in a day's work. The Peruvian superstar is the most straightforward and pragmatic of tenors; he just happens to have a vocal technique that is often considered the best in the world.