LatinNews Daily - 11 October 2024

*Public transport workers have gone on strike in Peru’s capital Lima and other cities to demand greater government action against extortion. The strike will continue today (11 October) and is the second wave of disruption to hit the capital following a previous strike on 26 September after at least three transport workers were murdered by extortionists over the previous month. Transport unions are also demanding an amendment to the criminal code, which classifies organised crime groups as those with “a complex and developed structure”. Protesters have said that this means that small street gangs, which are largely responsible for extortion, cannot be prosecuted as organised crime groups. President Dina Boluarte has promised tough measures to crack down on extortion, and congress is preparing to debate a government bill that would create a new offence of “urban terrorism” and make extortion punishable with at least 25 years’ imprisonment. Yesterday, Boluarte said that “we will stand firm against people and gangs who use terror to rob money and peace from our people”. She promised that “just as we defeated the terror waged by [Maoist guerrilla group] Sendero Luminoso, we will defeat the terror of criminals”.