- Utah lawmakers and business leaders connected with Peruvian counterparts this week.
- The Utah trade mission in Peru happened in conjunction with the recent launch of Delta's direct flights between Salt Lake City and Lima.
- Utah Senate President Stuart Adams was honored by Peru's Congress.
LIMA — For nearly two centuries, the United States has enjoyed diplomatic relationships with Peru.
But events in recent days are penning a defining chapter in bilateral relations between the two regions — particularly for Utah.
The Utah delegates arrived in Lima early Friday, a bit bleary-eyed — but with clear vision of the possibilities from the unique business trip.
Delta Flight 193 marks the first time an airline is offering nonstop commercial flights from Salt Lake City to a South American destination — even while signaling emerging market momentum between Peru and Utah.
“This is an opportunity to do what’s best for Utah,” Utah House Minority Leader Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, told the Deseret News.
“I’m happy to be here in Peru with the World Trade Center Utah (WTC-Utah) and others to have these conversations and to make it a more intimate partnership.”
There’s already a long list of export/import items waiting to be better developed through strengthened partnerships — including agricultural products such as blueberries, asparagus, mangos, cacao and coffee, according to WTC-Utah President and CEO Jonathan Freedman.
The Utah delegation is also hoping to optimize opportunities in Peru in mining areas such as critical minerals, mining equipment and explosives and textiles such as high-quality Pima cotton being harvested in Peru.
Logistically, Peru also offers a prized supply chain advantage. Time-sensitive products can be shipped from the western South American nation to the U.S. West Coast in four days, port to port.
Bipartisan lawmakers to Peruvians: ‘Utah’s open for business’
Romero is joined here by a politically diverse group of Utah lawmakers — including Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, and others.
Meanwhile, Jefferson Moss from the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity also traveled to Peru on Delta Flight 193.
The Utah/Peruvian business trip, noted Romero, “is really important to my constituency where people of color are the majority — and 50% of my district is Latino.
“Many of those people within my district own small businesses, so I wanted them to know I’m just as invested in them. … The message I want to send here (in Peru) is: We’re here. We’re a community. We work together.”
At a reception Friday in Lima’s bustling San Isidro business district, the Utah delegation networked across a crowded reception room filled with Peruvian government and business officials.
Joan Perkins, the chargé d’affaires at the United States Embassy in Peru, saluted the Beehive State visitors.
“Your presence underscores Utah’s commitment to strengthening our bilateral relations — which is really important to us at the embassy — in building commercial partnerships and expanding mutual economic opportunities.”
Perkins noted that next May the two nations will celebrate their bicentennial of bilateral relationships. Aviation has long been a key link fortifying those connections.
Now Delta’s new SLC-Lima flight marks another leap forward.
“Lima has been a sought-after destination for travelers connecting through Salt Lake City — and the launch of this nonstop service fills a very important gap,” said Perkins.
“The direct connection is going to make it easier than ever before for business and leisure travelers to connect through the Western United States — including people traveling from cities like San Francisco, Portland, Denver and Las Vegas, to reach Peru with efficient one-stop connections.”
Approximately 600,000 U.S. citizens travel to Peru each year — the Andean nation’s second-largest source of tourists.
“This (Delta flight) collaboration is so important because it opens the door to increased commerce and investment between our countries,” said Perkins.
“This launch also reinforces the impact of the U.S. private sector and how it has the power to shape partnerships and generate mutual economic prosperity.”
Linking two hubs: Salt Lake City and Lima
Juan Pablo Guerrero of Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs office said the new Delta flight and the Utah trade delegation tells the story of two hubs.
“Salt Lake City is positioning itself as an economic, technological and logistics hub in the Western United States — just as Lima has become a key hub for trade within South America and between South America and Asia,” Guerrero said.
Peru, the U.S. and Utah share fundamental values such as democracy, hard work, free trade, the rule of law and perhaps most importantly, strong people-to-people ties across the Americas, added Guerrero.
Utahns, including many from the Latter-day Saint community, have demonstrated solidarity with Peru over many years — especially in times of need.
“As we explore a concrete path to expand trade and investment through mutually beneficial initiatives in infrastructure, mining, agriculture, energy and tourism, Peru firmly believes there is significant potential to deepen business relations between our leading companies,” he added.
Guerrero also pointed to the recent opening of Peru’s consulate general in Salt Lake City as “a clear expression of our commitment to strengthening political and economic and social engagement at a higher level, reflecting the importance we attach to our ties with Utah.”
Peru’s Congress lauds Utah’s Senate leader
Utah’s ranking state senator, Adams, thanked Delta for launching Salt Lake City’s first-ever direct commercial flight to South America — and for the welcome the Utahns received during their Peru trip by legislative counterparts in the Peruvian government.
Adams was honored Friday by the Peruvian Congress.
Fernando Rospigliosi, Peru’s acting President of Congress, presented Utah’s Senate president with the Medal of Honor of the Congress of the Republic in the rank of Grand Cross for his civic service and work to strengthen global partnerships.
The honor is awarded to Peruvians and international figures such as heads of state making significant contributions to culture, politics or development.
In his remarks, Adams noted “a different feeling” during his first visit to this South American nation.
“Being in Peru is different,” he said. “I’ve been able to feel a spirit here that is different. I’m so glad I came because there’s a spirit here that reminds me a lot of Utah.”
Adams then touted Utah, saying it has “the best business environment of all 50 states.”
The state, he said, offers global opportunities in mining and critical mineral and other economic endeavors.
Both Peru and Utah, he added, boast natural beauty that draw tourists from across the globe.
“We have five national parks in Utah. People come from all over the world to see those parks. But Peru is also beautiful — and Utahns and people in the Western United States want to come here.
“Because of this flight, people will be able to come to Utah from South America — and from South America to Utah.”
‘Building bridges between Utah and the world’
In his remarks, Moss noted the bipartisan collection of Utah lawmakers connecting with their Peruvian counterparts. He said Utahns are committed to working together to make the world a better place.
“And we feel a similar environment when we come to Peru,” he said.
Utah’s economy, added Moss, is the best in the nation — citing data provided by U.S. News & World Report.
“Over the last three years in a row, Utah has been ranked No. 1,” he said. “We’re the youngest economy. We’re the fastest economy. There are a number of factors that make Utah a really good place to do business.”
World Trade Center Utah chief Freedman said the Salt Lake City-based organization “builds bridges between Utah and the world.”
He also noted that Utah’s government leaders — including those represented in the Peruvian trade mission delegation — make it easy to do business.
Freedman thanked Delta for their historic call to offer the SLC-to-Lima direct flight. That flight will benefit tourists and individuals doing business in those respective communities. But that flight also created new opportunities for shipping freight.
“(We) saw today blueberries and grapes and asparagus and mangoes all get loaded onto that first nonstop Delta flight to Salt Lake City,” said Freedman.
“We are thrilled to have Peruvian produce in Utah.”
Such cargo shipments, he added, also produce a “magnifying effect” — benefiting both communities.
“Because we have other Delta nonstops from Utah, those blueberries are going to, say, Amsterdam. That asparagus is going to Paris. Those mangoes are going to Seoul, Korea,” said Freedman.
“We connect throughout North America, Asia, Europe. Delta and Utah are helping Peruvian companies expand their footprint globally.”
While scanning the collection of Peruvian and Utah government and business leaders gathered together, Sandall marveled at the possibilities that await.
“Fifteen to 20% of our population in Utah speak Spanish — and that’s important,” said Sandall, who learned the language while serving a Latter-day Saint mission in Venezuela.
“We want to be partners. We want to connect in 8½ hours. We want to do this thing. … We’re ready to do business.”