LIMA, Oct 10 (Askume) – Schools are closed in Lima, the armed forces are rounding up citizens and the government has asked employers to encourage remote working as public transport companies take further action to tackle rising crime and extortion. The blackmail incidents began on Thursday.
It is the second transport strike in two weeks, with unions across the country calling for a 72-hour strike. Shopping malls and markets around Lima were also closed in support of the protests, and business owners said they also faced extortion from organized crime.
“This protest is about insecurity, which has reached the point where even businessmen are becoming victims of extortion,” said Catherine Gomez, leader of a business group in a district north of Lima.
In late September, the government declared a state of emergency in 14 regions around Lima so the army could help police fight crime, as businesses said the state was struggling to combat organized crime.
On Monday, four people, including the driver, were killed in a minibus in Callao province, near Lima. At least six people have been killed in extortion cases since late August, according to police.
According to Home Ministry data, police arrested 289 people on charges of extortion in 2023, a 165% increase from 2022.
Prime Minister Gustavo Adriance said late Wednesday that 10,000 police and military personnel would monitor the drivers’ strike, and strike leaders announced they would go to Congress in central Lima.
