Peru's president jittery over calls for a mass strike

[dArKeR]

AP , LIMA
Thursday, Jul 15, 2004,Page 6

The least popular president in the Americas was facing a nationwide strike yesterday that could undermine his authority after a communist-led labor federation called out thousands of workers to paralyze the country.

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo planned to send riot police out on street patrols to maintain order and deploy army troops to guard public installations including electricity and water plants.

"The Interior Ministry has mobilized 93,000 police officers to avoid violence ... and the armed forces will protect some public sites and services," Interior Minster Javier Reategui told foreign reporters.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/07/15/2003179052


Friendly Dictators
http://home.iprimus.com.au/korob/fdtcards/SouthAmerica.html

[Joanne98]

1. Are they Communists

Or just peole who want to earn a living wage.

[FlemingsGhost]

2. How is it the concept of people empowerment eludes the U.S.?

:shrug:

[Aidoneus]

3. "...has mobilized 93,000 police officers to avoid violence..."

I seriously doubt that. Such forces are gathered by the state for the purpose of violence from their own ends.

[dArKeR]

4. Urge to drop democracy grows in Latin America

NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE , Ilave, Peru

On a morning in April, people in this normally placid spot in Peru's southeastern highlands burst into a Town Council meeting, grabbed their mayor, dragged him through the streets and lynched him. The killers, convinced the mayor was on the take and angry that he had neglected pledges to pave a highway and build a market for vendors, also badly beat four councilmen.

The beating death of the mayor may seem like an isolated incident in an isolated Peruvian town but it is in fact a specter haunting elected officials across Latin America. A kind of toxic impatience with democratic process has seeped into the region's political discourse, even a thirst for mob rule that has put leaders on notice.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2004/06/28/2003176910

[tooncesj0nes]

5. we were in Peru in March...

..got off the plane in Lima..walking through the airport...an advertising banner. At the bottom it read ' Clear Channel'. at that point we realized the Peruvians were doomed!

[maddezmom]

6. things are very jittery for all expats in Peru

My children and I returned last month, and my husband is packing up our stuff and returning the 25th of this month.