Peru’s President Pedro Castillo imposed a curfew in the capital Lima on Tuesday, banning people from leaving their homes in an effort to quell protests against rising fuel and fertilizer costs that are spreading across the country.
see photosA burning tire serves as part of a blockade of a highway to Lima during the national transport strike
Peru’s President Pedro Castillo imposed a curfew in the capital Lima on Tuesday, banning people from leaving their homes in an effort to stem protests against rising fuel and fertilizer costs that are spreading across the country.
“The cabinet announced a ban on the movement of citizens from 2 am to 11:59 am on Tuesday, April 5, in order to protect the fundamental rights of all people,” Castillo said in a nationwide address just before midnight. Is.”
A wave of protests on Monday over rising fuel and fertilizer prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continued into its second week, while the government scrambled to bring prices down.
The protests represent a harsh reality for the troubled presidency of leftist Pedro Castillo, a peasant farmer and school teacher who won the election last year with overwhelming support from the rural poor.
Protesters block a highway to Lima during a national transport strike against gas prices and toll road rates in Ica, Peru
photo credit: Reuters/Sebastian Castaneda
But their support has waned sharply, even in rural areas, reaching around 25% nationwide. In his eight months in office, Castillo has survived two impeachment attempts and has cycled through an unprecedented number of cabinet members.
The government said the protests have turned increasingly violent and that at least four people have been killed.
On Monday, demonstrators torched toll booths and clashed with police near the southern city of Ica.
“This strike is happening not just here, but all over Peru,” said a protester in Ica.
Last week farmers and truck drivers blocked some main highways to Lima, triggering a sudden jump in food prices.
The government responded over the weekend with a proposal to waive most taxes on fuel in an effort to lower prices, while raising the minimum wage by about 10% to 1,205 soles ($332) a month.
Peru has also issued an emergency declaration for its agriculture sector due to rising fertilizer prices due to Western sanctions on Russia, a major exporter of potash, ammonia, urea and other soil nutrients.
Like many countries, Peru was already battling high inflation before the war. In March, inflation hit a 26-year high, driven primarily by a rise in fuel and food prices.
(Reporting by Sebastian Castaneda; Writing by Marcelo Rochbrunn; Editing by Richard Pullin, Robert Birsel)
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