Perú Grapples With Violence As SOUTHCOM Expands
Nearly two years after the US-backed parliamentary coup that ousted President Pedro Castillo, a wave of extortions, assassinations and a crime spree has rocked the cities of Lima and Callao, among others. At least nine deaths have been reported in just a few days leading up to the national strike called by the Unión de Gremios de Transporte Multimodal del Perú, the national syndicate that brings together different transport workers unions (from mototaxistas to bus drivers) under one formation. Gangs, or perhaps more accurately named armed paramilitary groups, have specifically targeted popular working class neighborhoods, such as Puenta Piedra and Los Olivos, and have left multiple transport workers dead from not paying extortion fees.