Re: [hangout] *ASTOUNDING* Statement by Peruvian Congressman on Free Software in the Government

[David Sugar <dyfet@ostel.com>]

On Mon, 6 May 2002, Richard Stallman wrote:

>       I may be visiting peru to
>     speak before their parliment in early July.
> 
> That is exciting news.  When it happens, let's be sure to announce it.
> Please tell bkuhn as soon as you know for certain.

My understanding is that they will have a vote on this law in June, which 
I believe is a "committee vote" and that at that time it will be 
introduced to the full legislature for consideration.  This would also 
explain why they wish to have people speak about it and free software to 
the Peru assembly as a whole.  I do not know their law making process or 
if they have, for example, an executive branch with veto power.  It would 
be helpful to know these things.

If I do this, I will be going as a "Free Software Professional" and will
have to make sure they are very clear that I am neither representing the
GNU project as a whole nor the FSF in any capacity.
 
> Do you have any contact with Edgar Villanueva Nu?ez?

The person I met had provided technical assistance to the drafting of the
original law with his staff.  I have lost his email address on my return,
although Bob Chassell should have this since he exchanged some email with
the person.  Also, Juan Carlos should have this person's contact info as 
well.

> Do you know if his letter was written originally in Spanish?

Yes it was in Spanish.  I do not know who did the translation.  The law
they are proposing is also written in Spanish and there was not an English
translation available.  I had the law read to me in English, and it does
define and enumerate the characteristics of "Free Software".  The
definition they choose seemed in principle to agree with the FSF
definition (and that of others), although the exact wording was not the
same.  This of course could be the result of translation to Spanish and
then back if they used the FSF definition as a starting point, or just may
have been written by somebody that understood the principles involved.

> If so, where can we find the original?

http://www.gnu.org.pe/main.html.  On the upper left are all the links ;
related to this.

> 
>