Arequipa goes on strike

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Since arriving in Arequipa, every day more and more posters with hand written slogans were added to the gates of the huge catedral on the main square. The front pages on display at newspaper stands displayed increasingly graphic photos and passionate headlines. Articles about Peru's Amazon started to appear on the BBC website. CNN En Espanol ran grainy footage of violent clashes during demonstrations.

Tensions were rising.

9am, Thursday 11th June. The feast of Corpus Christi.

The sound of drums and shouting roused me from a cracking dream about Stoke winning the Champions League. As much as I tried, it was too late. I couldn't get back into the dream. I grumpily got up and ready so we could go out into the thick of the action. A protest of mass proportions was taking place on Arequipa's main square.

The town itself is without a doubt the prettiest town in Peru (not a lot of competition though) and its Plaza de Armas is one of the loveliest plazas we have some across so far throughout Central and South America. The cathedral sits grandly on the north side. On the three other sides, colonial arches complete the square in an impressive architectural design. But that is not what makes this plaza stand out from others. Behind the stone towers of the cathedral, a volcano and a snow capped peak loom large, so picture perfect that they almost don't seem real. An average day in the plaza would see children feeding the pigeons around the central fountain, men in suits getting their shoes shined, old ladies eating ice cream on the benches. Today though, there was no room for any of that.

Latin Americans and protests are no strangers. We've seem them pretty much in every country, but none yet on this scale. Thousands of people were jammed into the Plaza de Armas, everyone was shouting and banging drums and blowing whistles and waving banners. The atmosphere was electric.

Placards proclaimed support for the people in the Peruvian Amazon whose treatment by the powers that be kick-started a wave of demonstrations all over Peru in solidarity. The Amazonians were resisting proposed laws that would give foreign companies access to the considerable natural resources in the Amazon. As a result of a road blockade which turned violent, the army announced a state of emergency in the north east region of the country. Reports said people (protestors and police) had been killed, numbers were unconfirmed.

In Arequipa the protest was non-violent and well coordinated involving over 80 local organisations, such as public bus drivers, construction workers and student groups. The crowd chanted passionately, "La selva no se vende!" ("The rainforest is not for sale!"). But by far the most popular phrase was "Alan Asesino! Alan Asesino! Alan Asesino!", denouncing the president, Alan Garcia, as a murderer. By mid-afternoon, Arequipa was beginning to return to normal. The protesters had made their point loud and clear.

After sunset, mass for the feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated by a bishop in front of the Cathedral and beamed onto big screens for all to see. Again the Plaza was packed, although this time it was an altogether more reserved affair.

To read BBC coverage of the protests see:
" Peru army imposes Amazon curfews " 7 June
" Peru polarised after deadly clashes" 10 June
" Peru Congress revokes land laws" 18 June

From Jess

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