Peru: General Strike Enters Second Day

Protests and strikes against Peru’s coup regime have entered their second consecutive day. Authorities report that highways are blocked by protesters in at least 37 different spots, up from 25 last night. Peruvians are demanding the release of former President Pedro Castillo, early elections, and the closure of Congress.

The latest place to join the mobilizations is the city of Ica, near the coast. Workers there have erected barricades to block off kilometer 262 of the Panamerican highway. Surrounding communities have blocked off kilometer 290, and kilometer 299, in the Álamo. 

In the capital, Lima, a march was held on Wednesday night in Plaza San Martín, organized by the General Confederation of Peruvian Workers (CGTP), along with leftist political parties. The march was repressed by police with tear gas before they could reach Congress.

Puno, an indigenous Aymara region near the border with Bolivia, is one of the main hot spots for protests with the largest number of barricades along highways. The city of Arequipa has also seen numerous clashes between protesters and police employing repressive tactics. Protests have also reached the Amazon region in cities like Pucallpa. 

The country has been rocked by mass protests since the coup was carried out against President Pedro Castillo by the police, military, and the right-wing majority congress. The new regime, led by Dina Boluarte, has killed nearly 30 protesters since the coup, mostly in indigenous Andean regions of the country. 

By Kawsachun News