Carrier Strike in Ica: Land Travel Suspended After Road Blockade

Since the morning hours, blockades and clashes have occurred in the Ica region at kilometer 290 of the Pan-American Highway South, confronting this, travel have been suspended for all interprovincial trips.

RPP images show how they toured the main land terminals of Lima on Avenida 28 de Julio in the district of La Victoria, where buses depart to destinations such as Ica, Arequipa and Moquegua. They reported that all trips to the cited cities have been suspended, which has caused many passengers to be stranded waiting for the road to be released.

The only buses they mentioned leaving are to Cañete and Chincha, towns that have not been affected by the agricultural strike.

The passengers showed their annoyance and concern about this situation, since in many cases they are just passing through Lima; so they do not have the budget to rent a hotel for the night, in case the blockade continues.

“I was going to travel to Arequipa. We have been told there is a lock for the farmers. We have been told that they can give us a refund of the money or a rescheduling of the trip; but it is not certain when they will resume,” commented one stranded traveler.

PROTESTERS TAKE POLICEMEN HOSTAGE

Demonstrations in Ica are escalating rapidly. It has been reported that the strikers had attacked a police station and took two police officers hostage.

This was reported by the American and Canal N journalist, Salvador Sampén, who through his Twitter account reported that a group of protesters attacked the Villacuri police station and tried to burn it down. Following that, they took two policemen hostage.

Minutes earlier, the journalist had reported that some of these protesters had gone to the hotel where he and his press team were staying. They threatened the hotel owners to “take them out on the street and throw away (their) equipment.”

Likewise, he denounced that there is no police presence in the place, near kilometer 278 of the Panamericana Sur.

11 INJURED IN CLASHES

On April 6, there were reports of strikers who have been blocking several sections of the Pan-American South for two days. They have unleashed the fear of hundreds of passengers who were attacked with sticks and stones by a group of vandals and threatened to burn any vehicle that dares to move forward. A policeman who wanted to bring order to kilometer 278 was beaten and detained by protesters.

Among the demands of these protesters are the reduction of fuel prices, the cost of products from the basic family basket and that President Pedro Castillo dialogue with them, since they do not recognize the agreements reached with the Government and that they considered that they were taken by other unions that do not represent them.

On the other hand, in the area of 'Barrio Chino' businesses were looted, bus and truck moons were broken and a group of criminals, posing as farmers, have taken the roads and charged quotas to drivers if they wish to advance any stretch of the Pan-American South.

In addition, it has been reported that protesters are charging quotas on interprovincial buses with passengers. They have been stranded on the road for two days, and in many cases they do not have the means to feed themselves. In addition, it was recorded that on one of the buses there are 5 children and 2 older adults.

Another group of neighbours in the vicinity have joined the strike of carriers and farmers and forced more than a hundred police officers to retreat and protect themselves from attacks.

In addition, doctors from the Ica Regional Hospital confirm the death of a young man and 11 injured.

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