Peru declares state of emergency on its highways to control the protests over inflation

Americas, News April 10, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo has imposed one-month state of emergency on all the country’s highways to allow the armed forces to take control of the highways and remove the blockades.

Hundreds of truckers and farm owners in Peru blocked all the main highways to record their protest over increasing gas prices and inflation in the country.

In a decree published by the President’s office in a national newspaper, it was stated that the army would take control of the highways to deploy or clear the blockades. The decree also conditions the freedom of movement and gathering on the highways. “The police will keep control of internal order, with help from the armed forces,” it stated.

The protectors continue to take the streets in all major cities of Peru to record their agitation against the rising inflation in the country. A clash between the protesters and police in the city of Ica resulted in the death of a farmworker while leaving 15 civilians and police officers severely injured.

Earlier on April 5, President Castillo imposed a 24-hour lockdown in Lima and its neighboring cities to control the situation and to ‘re-establish peace’. However, the lockdown strategy backfired as it angered the protesting crowds even more and forced the President to roll back the lockdown ahead of time.

“I must announce that from this moment on we are going to cancel the curfew order,” President Castillo said in a meeting with Congress. “We now call on the Peruvian people to keep calm,” Castillo added.

^{Peru’s President Pedro Castillo addresses the law makers and invitees during the Inauguration Day at the Congress in Lima, Peru July 28, 2021. (Image Credit: Peru’s Presidency/Handout via Reuters)}

Western sanctions on Russia have resulted in a shortage of essentials such as oil, gas, and fertilizers for the emerging economy of Peru. With the COVID-19 pandemic already leaving a lasting impression on the Peruvian economy, a shortage of supplies from the international market has led the country to spiral into inflation. In the month of March, the country’s inflation rate hit 1.48%, which is the highest ever inflation rate for Peru in more than 20 years.

The left-winged schoolteacher turned politician; Pedro Castillo is also locally referred to as ‘El Profe’ which means ‘the teacher’. He took the Presidential office in July last year with overwhelming support from the Peruvian rural population. During his course of eight-month in the office, he has already faced two impeachment attempts and cycled through a large number of cabinet members.

The rural population of Peru, which once selected the President into the office with overwhelming support, is now being affected the most by the inflation and increasing gas prices. Although the government has cut taxes on fuels, raised the minimum wage, and proposed tax exemption on basic food items, the increasing inflation does not seem to curb by these policies. Castillo’s popularity has significantly lowered during the last few months due to his drastic decision of controlling the protesting crowds through force. The government repeatedly states that a curfew and a state of emergency are necessary to avoid looting and riots.