Focused on the demand for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, the protests keep roads blocked in nine regions, but with more force in Puno, where many residents participate in road closures.
Traffic interruptions prevent access to border crossings to Bolivia and the coast and block the Interoceanic highway, which runs from the coastal region of Ilo to the border with Brazil.
Puno’s social organizations keep the cities of Puno and Juliaca paralyzed and plan a march to Lima, similar plans of other southern regions.
The Interoceanic highway is also blocked in Madre de Dios, a region adjacent to Puno and bordering the Atlantic country and Bolivia,
The second territory with the most road closures is Cusco, adjacent to Puno and the country’s main tourist spot.
Real-time monitoring by the Superintendency of Land Transportation (Sutran) also records the persistent blockade of the important Pan-American highway, which runs along the Peruvian coast, in Ica, whose capital is located 305 kilometers south of Lima.
In the capital, a report from the Ministry of Agrarian Development recorded a 19.2 percent reduction in the supply of agricultural products for the Wholesale Market from the interior of the country.
Meanwhile, President Dina Boluarte persists in her refusal to discuss the demands of the protests, all political, and which include early elections and a referendum to define whether or not the population wants a constituent assembly, blocked with various arguments by the unpopular Parliament.
The president calls for dialogue but only on social and economic issues and the general secretary of the Peru Libre Party (PPL), Vladimir Cerrón, commented in this regard that the demands are clear and must be met.
“It is a mistake to limit the people to elementary demands, such as electricity and water, the people demand that their political rights be respected, since they chose another government, not this one,” said the leader.
From the extreme right, meanwhile, calls for a “strong hand” persist against the opposition demonstrations, which they try to classify as vandalism and even terrorists.
ef/lam/mrs
