Fifth day of the transport strike: eight regions are the most affected

The indefinite stoppage of heavy-duty carriers is now in its fifth day and the effects have already occurred in several cities. According to the bulletin released by the Superintendency of Land Transport of People, Cargo and Goods (Sutran), eight regions are the most affected by the unemployment of freight carriers. These are Piura and Cajamarca, in the north; Ancash and Junín, in the center; and Ayacucho, Arequipa, Apurimac and Puno, in the south of the country.

The latest report from the Peruvian National Police (PNP) indicated that until the early hours of this Thursday, March 31, about 25 roads nationwide remained blocked and traffic interrupted. On March 29, she claimed her first fatality when a woman was hit by the driver of a van who did not want to stop on the Central Highway, in Junín.

The strike had been announced days before, due to the rise in fuel prices and it is required to eliminate unfair competition from foreign carriers and direct the cargo reserve for national guilds. They also call for the elimination of the selective fuel consumption tax and the revision of road and toll concession contracts.

For this reason, the demonstrators call for a dialogue table with government representatives to conduct negotiations with companies and cut the cost of oil and derivatives.

MEASURES TO CONTAIN PRICES

With the aim of mitigating the price hike, the Executive made official this Tuesday, March 29, a series of technical measures. Among them, it was decided to incorporate for three months petrol 84 and 90 gasohol and 84 gasohol into the Petroleum Fuel Price Stabilization Fund (FEPC). Diesel 2 and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) were also temporarily included in bulk.

This fund was launched in 2004 to prevent volatility in international oil prices from shifting to Peruvian consumers.

GOVERNMENT WILL CREATE “DIALOGUE COMMISSION”

This Thursday, March 31, the Government of Pedro Castillo announced the creation of a “dialogue commission” to meet the demands of heavy cargo carriers.

“The Government is ready to dialogue with them (carriers), for which purpose a 'dialogue committee' is being appointed for the immediate attention of their demands,” he said on the Twitter of the Council of Ministers, after claiming to respect their right to demonstrate and clarifying that “neither they nor anyone can block the roads” .

Previously, President Pedro Castillo had declared, in Piura, that his administration would bring order “in the next few hours”. He also called the strike “malicious” and “paid for by some leaders and leaders”.

FIVE DAYS OF STRIKE

The guilds of heavy-duty carriers began an indefinite strike on Monday, March 28 to protest the rise in fuel and demand a dialogue table with the Government and companies. The following day, 40 roads were blocked nationwide, which continued on the 31st of the same month, despite the agreements announced by Prime Minister Aníbal Torres.

At a press conference of the Council of Ministers, the official reported that the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) had reached agreements with the National Union of Carriers and the Peruvian Confederation of Carriers to lift the strike and unblock the roads.

“That agreement is that the State is committed to simplifying, accelerating the return to the Selective Consumption Tax that lasted 70 days, but now it can last 30 days,” he said.

Torres mentioned that the rise in fuel is not an entirely national issue, but also “for the rest of the world, and it is due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has led to the increase in the price of oil and fuel in general.”

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