On the night of 14 August 2016, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Peruvian region of Arequipa, with its epicentre in the town of Chivay. This earthquake and its aftershocks affected the districts of Ichupampa, Chivay, Achoma, Yanque and Coporaque, in the province of Caylloma. There have so far been 9 fatalities, but it is possible that this figure may increase.
"The epicentre was close to the Colca Valley and surrounding areas, a very attractive region for tourism. It wasn't actually felt in the city of Arequipa, because we are more than 150 km from the epicentre area. It has been confirmed that there are people dead and a lot of material damage in the area. I estimate that many houses have collapsed, as the buildings are precarious," affirms our source.
Furthermore, it is worth stressing that there is arable land among the affected areas, mainly devoted to the cultivation of potatoes and corn, but also garlic and onions. These crops are mainly owned by small growers, but many supply products to exporters. "Small producers in the area live off their crops, so the quake is expected to have major consequences for them. Also, there may be some blocked channels, such as the one in Majes, which is very important for exports. But information is still very uncertain, and we do not know what the consequences will be for us, producers and exporters," assert exporters from the area.