Nationwide strike

Lima, Peru

Thousands of people in every major city in Peru took to the streets this week, answering the call for a nationwide protest against the government of President Alan Garcia. At least three protesters died in clashes that left much of the country paralyzed. The protests began July 5 with a walkout by the nation’s teachers, angry over a new teaching proficiency test. It quickly spread to other unions, including those of farmers, construction workers, and miners. Protesters say that in the year Garcia has been in office, Peru’s economy has boomed, yet their wages and working conditions have not improved.