PERU; General Strike in Iquitos

From: EL NUEVO TOPO <giltapia@igc.org> May 28, 2009

May 27: In support of the National Day of Protest: The jungle city of Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon (pop. 400,000 aprox.) was on 24 hour General Strike in support of the indigenous struggle. The market was closed, no public transportation, and the schools closed. A few businesses tried to sell to customers with their doors locked. The students from the University carried out picket duty. The riot police injured 13 people with rubber bullets. 18 construction workers demonstrating for the indigenous peoples were arrested together with 2 indians.

Three hundred indians blocked the tourist action Machu Pichu near Cuzco in the highlands preventing tourists from entering.There are 2 separate blockades by indigenous tribes of the Fernando Beluande highway. 300 policemen have gathered in front of the Corral Quemado bridge where one of the blockades is taking place. The head of the National Miners Union has declared a national strike on June 15th. The Rondas Campesinas, originally set up by the government as a para-police force to oppose the guerrillas, has declared they will be carrying national actions to support the indigenous struggle unless the government repeals its privitization laws.