Brief History of Salt Lake Sister City
and Trujillo, Peru Sister City
Several years ago Peruvian residents of Salt Lake City, members of the Fraternidad Peruana de Utah and natives from Trujillo gathered to discuss the establishment of a Sister City relationship between Trujillo, Peru and Salt Lake City. A meeting was also held in Trujillo with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, the municipal government, as well as leaders from the industries of education, business, art and tourism. The Mayor of Trujillo drafted a letter, presenting this to the committee, establishing Trujillo as a Friendship City in 2005. Trujillo remains a Friendship City today but still has hopes of establishing a strong enough connection to become a Sister City in future years.[nggallery id=6]
Since then, the relationship between Trujillo and Salt Lake City has enabled the development between cultural groups residing in both Cities. This includes such groups as:
- Ballet West and the Trujillo Ballet Company
- Trujillo Book Festival and Salt Lake Book Festival
- Donations have been given to the city of Trujillo entities such as: Cancer Institute, Rehabilitation Centers, and a school for abandoned children.
- Currently we are working in establishing a relationship with the University of Utah and the “Los Mejores para un Peru” a leadership youth development program and the possibility of securing internships for University of Trujillo seniors in Utah.
Apart from the unique cultural connections between Salt Lake City and Trujillo, Trujillo boasts a distinct history. Founded in 1534, Trujillo is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in Peru. Located 350 miles north of Lima, Trujillo flourished when numerous families of nobles decided to settled there to utilize the existing gold and silver mines, as well as the large sugar plantations. These resources have made Trujillo one of the most important economical center of northern Peru, while it serves as an inland commercial and transportation center for the surrounding farming areas.