“To the streets”, came the call throughout Peru and yesterday people marched in the larger cities of the country to show strength and bring pressure.
In Cusco some 70 people gathered at the Paraninfo on the main Plaza and, led by strong young women of the Rebel Gender group and Wanchaq Frente Amplia, marched down the Sun Avenue before turning on Almagro, making their way to San Francisco, and returning to the Plaza de Armas.
While the march drew larger numbers of people in other parts of Peru, in Lima the demonstrators extended a full 20 blocks, the energy of the marchers in Cusco was strong and called the attention of young and old along their way.
The demonstration was called to protest political threats against Minister of Education, Jaime Saavedra Chanduví, as well as challenges to popular education from Fuerza Popular, the leading party in Peru’s congress led by former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori. Fuerza Popular’s congressmen and women call for the resignation of the minister.
The demand for Saavedra’s resignation stems is part of a broader attack on the Ministry of Education and challenge the current university law.
Analysts see the resulting political crisis as an attempt by Fuerza Popular to show its strength against the administration of President Pedro Pablo Kusczynski.
With the support of the teachers union, the Frente Amplio party, and students, marchers took to the streets to remind congress an the government of the power of Peruvians when they march in unity. The marchers demand their interests be taken seriously in the midst of the intense political struggle between the administration and congress.
