[Fsf-friends] More from Peru

[Raju Mathur]

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,54141,00.html

Microsoft's Big Stick in Peru
By Agustin d'Empaire
2:00 a.m. July 27, 2002 PDT

BUENOS AIRES -- Afraid that Peru may adopt a bill decreeing the use of
open-source software in all government systems, Microsoft apparently
enlisted the American ambassador in Lima to help try and convince the
Peruvians to kill the legislation.

Wired News has obtained a copy of a letter sent by U.S. Ambassador
John Hamilton to the president of the Peruvian Congress, expressing
his dismay at the proposed legislation.

Congressman Edgar Villanueva, the bill's chief sponsor, said he
considers Hamilton's letter to be "overt pressure" on Peru by the
United States and Microsoft. If so, the letter would continue the
long-standing U.S. tradition of meddling in Latin American affairs,
political analysts say.

In his June letter, Hamilton said that while the United States doesn't
oppose the development of open-source software, it prefers to support
a free market where the quality of the product can determine the
issue.

He added that by excluding proprietary software companies like
Microsoft, Peru would be hurting an industry that "has the potential
to create 15,000" jobs in the local economy.
</excerpt>

Is he the US ambassador or the MS ambassador?

-- Raju
-- 
Raju Mathur          raju@kandalaya.org           http://kandalaya.org/
                     It is the mind that moves