Thousands of Peruvians continued this Friday morning protesting in Lima and other parts of the country, with increasingly violent confrontations with the Policewhich late this Thursday announced that it will unblock the routes taken to prevent food and fuel shortages that are already affecting the southern provinces.
The Armed Forces and the Peruvian National Police (PNP) they urged the protesters to unblock the roads, after the death of 10 people for issues related to traffic cuts.
Despite the warnings, on the Puno-Moquegua route, the Aymara community maintained the blockade and prevented dozens of military trucks from entering the city of Puno, the nerve center of the protests. The protesters criticized the president, Dina Boluartewhom they pointed out for his “double speech”.
“This woman uses double speech. First she talks about dialogue, then she sends soldiers to unleash a war and eliminate more Peruvians. They have discriminated against us and there will be no dialogue in any way. Less after 21 dead from Puno. The strike continues until she leaves.” , indicated an Aymara citizen, quoted by the Peruvian newspaper La República
The demonstrators prevented the entry of the military trucks, but the troops crossed the road on foot.
Shortly before, the Armed Forces and the PNP had announced that they would act in “defense of the law” in the event that the roads continued to be blocked, because this act goes “against the Constitution.”
In the southern region of Madre de Dios, meanwhile, the PNP repressed with tear gas the protesters who entrenched themselves in the government headquarters when they learned that the prime minister, Alberto Otárola, was in the place, to deliver articles of first need to the most vulnerable population.
Peru lives a wave of protests since December 7, when Congress dismissed Pedro Castillohours after the then president announced the closure of the Legislature and the establishment of an emergency government with the suppression of constitutional guarantees, after several attempts by opposition blocs to remove him from office.
during the protests at least 48 people died in clashesincluding a police officer, and another 10 died from traffic accidents and events related to blockades, according to data from the Ombudsman’s Office.
The indefinite strike and the prolonged blockade of 88 roads to demand the resignation of the President, new elections and a referendum to create a constituent assembly are causing food and fuel shortages in the southern regions.
The Supervisory Agency for Investment in Energy and Mining (Osinergmin) reported that some 140 tanker trucks are paralyzed in different obstructed areas directed to Arequipa, Moquegua, Tacna, Cusco, Puerto Maldonado and Pucallpa.
According to Osinergmin, Ica will run out of fuel in the coming days while the trucks that transport shipments to that region remain blocked while waiting for the roads to open.
In Fist there are stores that are rationing the sale of fuel while some drivers assured that there are businesses that have increased the price of gasoline.
For their part, merchants from the main markets of Puno who joined the protest attend only a few days to supply food to the population, although they also had to increase the price of some products due to shortages.
In Cusco Nearly fifty service stations closed due to lack of fuel and around 800 LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) distributors do not have this resource.
Regarding the markets, according to vendors of the Wanchaq Marketprices have been maintained, but the flow of food is not the same and many arrive mistreated due to the detours that drivers must take.
In Arequipa There is also a lack of chicken and meat in some stores, because some supplier companies reduced their production due to the lack of feed for chickens and pigs.
In Mother of God The shortage of basic necessities is affecting the most vulnerable population, warned the Ombudsman’s Office.
Meanwhile, in Ica, the road blockade affects the oxygen supply. Luis Aguirre, director of the Regional Hospital, warned that they only have oxygen for 24 hours and asked the protesters to let the tank pass, otherwise they will have serious problems.
