[meteorite-list] News and Views in Peru

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 15:29:00 -0500
Message-ID: <03d401c805fc$08ffabd0$b92ee146_at_ATARIENGINE>

Hi, All,

    Beyond the views of Randall Richard Daniels Gregory
on Mike Farmer, it seems that others in Peru are not happy
with him. Taking no sides, just the messenger, folks.

    Here's a Peruvian news article:
<http://www.larepublica.com.pe/content/view/181193/30/>

    Here's a cleaned up machine translation:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Headline] They try to deal in pieces of the fallen meteorite

[Subhead] A group of Americans came with this purpose
                  to Carancas.

    The president of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP),
Ronald Woodman, denounced the group of Americans
directed by Michael Farmer (famous searcher of meteors in
the world) that tries to deal in remains of the meteorite that
fell [down] in the locality of Carancas in the middle of the
past September.

    "They sneak in [literally, "glide"] to initiate the excavations
to extract the remains at the border with Bolivia, since the
meteorite fell [down] within one kilometer of the border with
this country," Woodman declared.

    It [is] recounted that the group of five North Americans
have come to the place with the support of the Police and that
seemingly the settlers [villagers] negotiated with these "merchants
of meteorites."

    Ronald Woodman said that the "cazameteoritos" would be
taking advantage of the ignorance of the settlers on the real
value of the objects. There are not many in the world; they are
valuable pieces for museums and collectors, as noted below.

    The facts:

    TRAFFIC. The citizen Michael Farmer sold a lunar fragment
of approximately 1 kg found near to Agadir (Morocco) for
1.5 million dollars

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    It would appear that entering the country from Bolivia,
one mile away, with an international airport in nearby LaPaz,
is inherently suspicious to some Peruvians.

    There is an implication (but no direct statement) that
"trafficing" in meteorites is a shady quasi-legal affair, as there
is much emphasis on the fact that Mike buys and sells them.
I wish I knew what "cazameteoritos" means but the online
translator won't translate it (nor the word "caza" either).
Meteorite traders? Meteorite peddlers? Meteorite Con-men?


Sterling K. Webb
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Received on Wed 03 Oct 2007 04:29:00 PM PDT