The Quest for a Peruvian Free Software Law Bill

• August 27, 2001:
  Meeting with Congressman Dr. Edgar Villanueva.
• September 11, 2001:
  A draft of the Bill is made.
• October 04, 2001:
  Meeting with congressman advisors about Bill viability.
• October 29, 2001:
  Second draft of the Bill is approved.
• November 12, 2001:
  Meeting with the congressman and his advisors where it is suggested that the term GNU be used in the Bill.
• November 26, 2001:
  A third draft of the Bill is received and reviewed by GNU members.
• December 05, 2001:
  Final draft of the Bill is discussed.
• December 14, 2001:
  The Bill is officially presented in the Peruvian Congress.
• December 27, 2001:
  In coordination with Fundación Via Libre it is suggested that the term GNU be kept on the Bill's text.
• January 11, 2002:
  Meeting at the National Institute of Statistics and Information.
  
• January 16, 2002:
  Meeting with Enrique Chaparro from Fundación Via Libre.
• January 21, 2002:
  Interview with Dr. Villanueva on Radio Programas, a popular news radio station that reaches the entire country.
• January 23, 2002:
  Meeting with Enrique Chaparro from Fundación Via Libre at the Congressman's office.
• January 28, 2002:
  Interview with Dr. Villanueva on Radio Nacional about the Bill.
• January 30, 2002:
  Radio Nacional interviews Enrique Chaparro from Fundación Via Libre about the Bill.
• February 01, 2002:
  Meeting with members of PLUG and local activists at local pizza restaurant.
• February 02, 2002:
  Meeting at Universidad Ricardo Palma (URP). There is general agreement to a design poster.
• February 09 2002:
  Meeting at URP. A slogan for the GNU posters is approved.
• February 14, 2002:
  Presentation by Congressman Dr. Villanueva at the Swiss Hotel about the benefits of using Free Software in the Huascarán Project, whose goal is to give education a technological boost.
• February 14, 2002:
  Congressman Dr. Villanueva meets with the dean of Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria (UNI) who expresses the institution's support of the Bill.
• February 15, 2002:
  Meeting with Congressman Dr. Villanueva in the Grau Chamber of the Congressional building, with members of PLUG, GNU, INEI, local activists, and people involved with free software as well as local representatives of Linux distributions such as as Conectiva.
• February 16, 2002:
  Meeting at URP with local activists. Distribution of the poster begins in Lima and other cities. The posters reads: YO QUIERO QUE ME PONGAN LOS CUERNOS. [en] I want my head horned!, an allusion to the GNU mascot and used with double meaning ("poner los cuernos" is a common idiom for being cheated on).
• February 18, 2002:
  Meeting to discuss the organization of a Free Software event at INICTEL.
• February 28, 2002:
  Meeting at URP to coordinate group activities.
• February 28 2002:
  Meeting to coordinate the distribution of the posters for the March 6 event.
  
• March 02, 2002:
  Meeting of activists at URP with Enrique Chaparro from GNU Argentina.
• March 06, 2002:
  Free Software Forum: Porque el Estado debe usar software libre? Why must the State use free software?
  Location: Congress of the Republic, Raúl Porras Barnechea Chamber.
  The place was full and the presentations were great. The President of the Congress expressed his desire to promote a debate of the subject and openness to new alternatives. Here is a summary of the event.
• March 09, 2002:
  Meeting at pizza restaurant again :). First debate about Nestor Ruiz's propossal to write a simple and didactic GNU/Linux manual (installation and basics) which would be delivered through a major newspaper across the country.
• March 14, 2002:
  Informal meeting for the ocassion of Enrique's departure from Peru.
  
• March 19, 2002:
  Press comments from Mr. Rolando Liendo, Pressident of APESOFT Peruvian Association of Software, showing his concern about the Bill.
• March 20, 2002:
  Response to Mr. Liendo's "concerns".
• March 20, 2002:
  Response from Congressman Dr. Villanueva, on the same subject.