Cameron Diaz in Cusco, Peru

Posted by Nicholas Gill Jun 25, 2007

Actress Cameron Diaz is in Cusco, Peru to celebrate Peruvian culture for the MTV Canada television series "4 Real." Many people and tourists have been extremely pleased she has brough attention to their city and seemed to enjoy the sites.

Although there is always room for a goof. She caused quite a stir when she carried a bag with a Maoist Red Star symbol and Chinese writing that said "Serve the People," a quote from Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong. Typically no one would care about this, except that Peru was and still is home to the Maoist guerillas Sendero Luminoso, or the Shining Path which raged a guerilla war from the Andes in the 80's and 90's brought about massacres, assassinations, and bombings. In the end nearly 70,000 were killed and the threat of Shining Path remains very real as isolated attacks still occur.

The actress has apologized profusely and said that carrying the bag was not her intent and that she never meant to cause any harm. She bought the bag as a tourist in China she said, and let's face it, had no idea what it meant. Some were offended although, I think everyone realized it was an honest mistake.

Whether this caused her to skip out on the Inti Raymi festival, which Microsoft founder Bill Gates went to, I cannot say.