Peru's bus drivers strike over rising crime concerns — disrupting the capital
- Bus drivers in Lima are protesting rising extortion and violence that have resulted in the deaths of multiple drivers.
- Workers are demanding stronger government measures to protect them against criminal gangs and are frustrated with ineffective law reforms.
- The strikes represent larger discontent with the state of governance, and if demands are unmet, further disruptions in transport services are likely.
In Peru, bus drivers in Lima are striking in response to increased violence and extortion by criminal gangs, which have led to the deaths of approximately 20 drivers in recent months. The strikes reflect deep frustrations with governmental inaction against the violence that plagues the transport sector. Transport workers are expressing their outrage over what they see as irresponsible governance and ineffective counter-reforms that have escalated criminal activity rather than diminished it. Many ordinary Peruvians are calling for new elections amid worries about the assault on democracy following recent attacks on the judiciary and electoral systems by Congress. The unions have made it clear that without significant measures to counter extortionist threats and changes to harmful laws, the protests and strikes will continue, further disrupting daily life in the capital and other major cities.