Social polarisation has reached its peak. Yesterday, January 4th, was the first day of the indefinite National Strike called by grassroots social organizations mainly from the south of the country, but in which protesters from the departments of Junin, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Cusco, Puno, La Libertad, Huanuco, Madre de Dios, Lima, among others, have participated.

Once again, the streets of the main cities were full of angry, organised, but above all indignant people.

This was demonstrated by the loud demands: “There is gold, there is copper, and the people are still poor”, “The people in the streets, because of the Congress”, “Urgent, urgent, Constituent Assembly”, “Murderers, murderers”, “Here they are, these are the ones who will always fight”.

Dialogue of the deaf

From the early hours of the day, social networks were filled with home-made reproductions in real time, tik toks and demonstrations in various regions of the country, showing road blockades, attempted clashes with the National Police and the Peruvian army, and marches.

Images of a tense calm, with the military on one side and the population on the other, multiplied in all the cities; while in Lima, the national capital, after a non-violent march, there was a strong confrontation between the demonstrators and the police, with tear gas bombs and injuries.

For its part, the government of President Dina Boluarte, while calling for dialogue and meeting with the CONFIEP (confederation of private businessmen), issued Supreme Decree No. 144-2022-PCM, which decrees the compulsory social immobilisation for five calendar days for different departments of the country such as Arequipa, La Libertad, Ica, Apurímac, Cusco, Puno, Huancavelica and Ayacucho.

And the Congress of the Republic continued with its own agenda, proposing Bill Nº 3889 to shorten the mandate of the president of the National Jury of Elections (JNE) and the ONPE (decentralised bodies that stated that elections could be held in December 2023). The JNE issued a statement saying that the bill violates the autonomy of the constitutional bodies JNE and ONPE.

Both parties are unable to find a way to dialogue. Meanwhile, the main demands remain: Closure of the Congress of the Republic, resignation of Dina Boluarte and elections in December 2023.

Polarisation is leading the country into uncertainty.