Today marks the 26th day of the labor strike here in Yurimaguas. Each day brings a new set of rumors about how long it will last, and the next day the rumors change. We were saddened this week to hear that the strike has escalated in some parts of the country. Friday there was a clash between protesters and police, resulting in deaths on both sides. We pray that this won’t increase, but will be a wakeup call to all those involved that it has gone too far.
For the most part, we have been unaffected, except for the shortages of fresh fruits and vegetables in the market, and some foodstuffs in the grocery stores. We can still get the things that are grown locally, but anything that comes by river or road, is unavailable, as both those means of transportation remained closed.
For the most part, there hasn’t been a large presence of protesters on the streets in a couple of weeks either. On occasion, we see a march of protesters through the streets, but it is peaceful and doesn’t last long.
We have learned a little bit more about the causes of the strike, and it all relates to land rights of the indigenous people, and broken promises made by the federal government. Sounds familiar, huh? Apparently the money and political clout of big business has trumped the wants and needs of the people who rely on the land for their livelihood. Three years ago, the indigenous communities were promised a voice in any land deals. Now it seems that there have been back-room deals to sell the land, without inviting all of the players to the table. Worse is the rumor that the politician, who is the elected representative of this area, is one of the buyers!
This evening, as we walked through town after dark, we saw a sign that people are getting tired of the standoff. Over the doors of several shops and government buildings, was a simple white flag, suggesting that maybe the people are ready to give up.
For the most part, we have been unaffected, except for the shortages of fresh fruits and vegetables in the market, and some foodstuffs in the grocery stores. We can still get the things that are grown locally, but anything that comes by river or road, is unavailable, as both those means of transportation remained closed.
For the most part, there hasn’t been a large presence of protesters on the streets in a couple of weeks either. On occasion, we see a march of protesters through the streets, but it is peaceful and doesn’t last long.
We have learned a little bit more about the causes of the strike, and it all relates to land rights of the indigenous people, and broken promises made by the federal government. Sounds familiar, huh? Apparently the money and political clout of big business has trumped the wants and needs of the people who rely on the land for their livelihood. Three years ago, the indigenous communities were promised a voice in any land deals. Now it seems that there have been back-room deals to sell the land, without inviting all of the players to the table. Worse is the rumor that the politician, who is the elected representative of this area, is one of the buyers!
This evening, as we walked through town after dark, we saw a sign that people are getting tired of the standoff. Over the doors of several shops and government buildings, was a simple white flag, suggesting that maybe the people are ready to give up.
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