Writing, Editing, Translating, Interpreting, Media Relations

Office: (505) 867-4948 • Cell: (202) 321-3783

janelleconaway@aol.com

Up and down Peru's scenic Colca Valley, restorers are bringing new life to
colonial-era churches that have suffered the toll of time and tremors

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Throughout my personal and professional life, I've been steeped in Latin America and the Caribbean. I grew up in Venezuela, reported from Caracas and Mexico City, worked for a decade at the Organization of American States (OAS), and continue to follow the region today. In the last couple of years, my work has taken me to Mexico, to cover the bicentennial celebrations; Guatemala, to write about a women's rights project; Peru, to interview a mountain guide who accompanies archaeology expeditions; and Trinidad and Tobago, to provide media support for the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

From my home base in New Mexico, I'm able to weave together the various strands of my career. Drawing on my background in journalism, I work as a freelance writer, producing magazine and newspaper articles. My experience in communications and public affairs has enabled me to do corporate writing and media relations. I also work regularly as a translator for the Washington, D.C.-based OAS and its Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In New Mexico, I'm a court-certified interpreter and a member of the New Mexico Translators & Interpreters Association.

In the mid-afternoon of July 23, 1991, a powerful earthquake struck the town of Maca, in Peru's postcard-perfect Colca Valley. Relatively few people lost their lives—most residents were tending the terraced fields nearby—but much of Maca was leveled. Part of the roof of its landmark 17th-century church caved in, and one of the twin bell towers partially collapsed.

"The bell ended up on the ground," remembers Juana Cayllahua, who was born in Maca some six decades ago. "It was very sad. I've been coming to my church since I was a little girl."