A partial strike of cargo and passenger carriers caused road blockades and suspension of classes in Peru on Monday, in the first stoppage against the government of the leftist president. peter castle.
The protests hit Lima and the regions of Piura, Chiclayo, La Libertad, Junín, Ica, Arequipa, San Martín, Amazonas and Ucayali, among others, and led to the suspension of classes in schools due to the restriction of public transport.
“Transit remains restricted on the different highways in the country, due to the stoppage of heavy cargo carriers,” reported the Superintendence of Land Transportation of People, Cargo and Goods (Sutran).
In the district of Ate, east of Lima, the police fired tear gas at demonstrators who, with burning tires and stones, impeded traffic on the Central Highway, which connects the Peruvian capital with the central Andean highlands.
The Union of Multimodal Transport Guilds of Peru claims against the rise in fuel prices and tolls. The stoppage will last until Tuesday.
price hike
The protest occurs at a time when Peru is also suffering from a rise in food prices.
In Ate, several vehicles suffered broken windows when they were attacked with stones, local media reported.
In the regions of Ica (south) and Junín (east) there were looting in shops and pharmacies, according to images broadcast by local television stations. In Ica (300 km south of Lima) some toll booths on the Pan-American highway were burned.
In an attempt to appease the complaints, the government eliminated the fuel tax over the weekend.
President Castillo, who has been in government for eight months, also decreed a 10% increase in the minimum wage, which will rise to 1,025 soles (USD 277) as of May 1.
The General Confederation of Workers of Peru (CGTP), the main trade union center in the country, rejected the salary increase percentage indicating that it is insufficient and called on its affiliates to march on Thursday.
These protests are the first in scope against Castillo and come a week after he passed an impeachment motion in Congress.
Castillo’s disapproval is 66%, according to an Ipsos poll from March.
?? A partial strike of cargo and passenger carriers caused blockades of routes and suspension of classes in Peru on Monday, in the first stoppage against the government of leftist President Pedro Castillo #AFP pic.twitter.com/5YlES4YOls
— Agence France-Presse (@AFPespanol) April 4, 2022