প্রকাশ: 05/04/2022
Peruvian President
Pedro Castillo imposed a curfew in the capital, Lima, on Tuesday, banning people
from leaving their homes in an attempt to curb protests against rising fuel and
fertilizer costs that have spread throughout the country.
"The cabinet has agreed to declare a ban on the
mobility of citizens from 2 a.m. through 11:59pm of Tuesday April 5 to
protect the fundamental rights of all people," Castillo said in an address
broadcast nationwide just before midnight.
On Monday, a wave of protests against rising fuel and
fertilizer prices, triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, continued into
their second week, while the government scrambled to bring prices down.
The protests represent a harsh reality for the embattled
presidency of leftist Pedro Castillo, a peasant farmer and school teacher who
won election last year with the overwhelming support of the rural poor.
But his support has quickly waned, even in rural regions,
and hovers at about 25% nationwide. In his eight months in office, Castillo has
survived two impeachment attempts and cycled through an unprecedented number of
Cabinet members.
The protests have become increasingly violent and at least
four people have been killed, the government said.
On Monday, protesters burned toll booths and clashed with
police near the southern city of Ica.
"This strike isn't happening just here, it's all over Peru,"
said one protester in Ica, who declined to be identified.
The turmoil erupted last week as farmers and truckers
blocked some main highways to Lima, leading to a sudden surge in food prices.
The government responded over the weekend with a proposal to
forego most taxes on fuel in an attempt to lower prices, while also raising the
minimum wage by about 10% to 1,205 soles ($332) a month.
Peru has also issued an emergency declaration for its
agricultural sector due to rising fertilizer prices triggered by Western
sanctions on Russia, a major exporter of potash, ammonia, urea and other soil
nutrients.
Like many countries, Peru was already battling
high inflation before the war. In March, inflation hit a 26-year high, largely
driven by rising fuel and food prices.
প্রধান সম্পাদকঃ সৈয়দ বোরহান কবীর
ক্রিয়েটিভ মিডিয়া লিমিটেডের অঙ্গ প্রতিষ্ঠান
বার্তা এবং বাণিজ্যিক কার্যালয়ঃ ২/৩ , ব্লক - ডি , লালমাটিয়া , ঢাকা -১২০৭
নিবন্ধিত ঠিকানাঃ বাড়ি# ৪৩ (লেভেল-৫) , রোড#১৬ নতুন (পুরাতন ২৭) , ধানমন্ডি , ঢাকা- ১২০৯
ফোনঃ +৮৮-০২৯১২৩৬৭৭