In a conversation with La República, the president of the Junín Agricultural Defense Front, Ángel Misayauri, expressed that there is every willingness to establish a dialogue with the government, but stressed that first President Pedro Castillo must rectify himself and apologize for having slipped that the mobilization is led by “ringleaders” who “have been paid.”
“This Saturday’s meeting with the ministers will not start if President Castillo does not rectify himself first. We have already communicated that to government representatives as well,” he said.
“Let it be rectified, because of that mention that the roads are blocked by ringleaders who are paid. We are not leaders, that is a criminal term. We are leaders who, even, had already had a work table with this government”, he explained.
Stagnant work table
The leader told La República that, after a strike that took place in Jauja in November 2021, the farmers had set up a work table with the Ministry of Agriculture, but everything changed when Óscar Zea (Free Peru) assumed this portfolio, on who identified a quota of political responsibility for this regional strike in Junín, which celebrated its fifth day yesterday.
He also recalled that a month ago there was already an agrarian strike in Tarma, without receiving any response from the government.
Misayauri reported that there is already progress in dialogue with government representatives and there is even a draft of the minutes that could be signed this Saturday, for the reinstatement of the work table with the Ministry of Labor.
He acknowledged that there was a willingness to dialogue from the Ministry of the Interior and the Vice Ministry of Transportation. He also specified that the only congressman who is in coordination with them is Ilich López, from Acción Popular.
the demands
There are four minimum demands of this regional agrarian strike and Junín carriers, according to Angel Misayauri: Reduction in the price of fertilizers, reduction in the price of fuel, setting a reference price for milk and the reengineering of the Agrarian Bank.
He pointed out that these four points would be the subject of dialogue this Saturday with the ministers who arrive in Huancayo. Then they could reach an agreement and give a period of 15 to 30 days for the Government to issue the necessary regulations that meet their demands.
This could be the way to suspend the strike, Misayauri pointed out. But first, Castillo must publicly apologize to the citizens who abide by the stoppage.