Peru: Strikes and Blockades in Ucayali

Featured image: Blockade in the Ucayali Province. Source: Diario Ahora

The Defense Front of the Ucayali Province (FREDEU – Frente de Defensa del Departamento de Ucayali) has initiated a regional strike since Monday, August 10. The protests are concentrated in the capital Pucallpa of the province, which is the second largest in Peru, where in addition to the strike there have also been blockades of transport ways and increasing demonstrations.

The struggles were sparked by a series of issues that have been left unattended by the local and national governments, main among them the increasing price of fuel, which effect the prices of all every day goods and hit transportation workers especially hard. Other demands include investment in public health and education. As such, many different sectors of the people have joined the mobilizations, like transport workers and students.

As the Association of New Democracy – Germany (Nuevo Peru) has shared that while some “leaders” of these sectors have tried to demobilize after some talks with the government, FREDEU has remained steadfast, assuming the following position: “[Those who seek to demobilize] abused the popular power: While the families, vendors and the general population were on the streets, supporting the strike, these leaders used the popular clamor as a negotiation platform” and “the strike for fuel prices are of the whole people, not by some sell-out leaders. We make a call for transparent unity, dignity and real resistance in Ucayali.”

The problems that gave rise to the protests have not been addressed and the strikes continue going stronger going into their second week.