Article content continued

“Canada is committed to working with countries in the Americas to support development through sustainable economic growth and improved education,” Harper said in a news release.

“The initiatives announced today will help Peru to maximize the benefits of its natural resources and ensure that Peruvian children receive the education they need to succeed.”

In their joint statement, the two leaders announced an agreement to expand air transport between Canada and Peru that will mean more flights to more places in each country.

They sang the praises of natural resources, free trade and education. And the Peruvian president condemned the illicit trafficking of Peruvian cultural property. The natural resource focus on Canada’s aid policy has raised plenty of eyebrows in the development agency community.

There is a global push to have mining and energy companies be more transparent in the royalties and payments they make to governments in developing and emerging countries, and Canada’s new policy plays into this dynamic.

But at the same time, aid activists worry that Canadian profits will come before poverty alleviation when it comes to Canada’s foreign policy and aid.

“The Prime Minister’s visit to Peru provides an opportunity for him to speak out on the importance of putting human rights, including the right of indigenous communities to manage their lands, and respect for the environment at the heart of any policy to promote resource extraction as an avenue for economic development,” said Oxfam Canada’s executive director, Robert Fox, in an email interview.