Three days of anti-government protests in Peru

Wednesday was the second day of a three-day strike declared by trade unions and social movements in Peru to protest the economic policies of President Alan García. According to the government, the strike has been a complete failure. Labour Minister Jorge Villasante said "work has continued as normal in Peru. The protest has not caught on among the workers as the organisers had hoped." But Carmen Sifuentes, the president of the CGTP - Peru's largest trade union federation–commented to IPS: "If it's such a flop, if the unions do not represent anyone, why are they offering 20 soles to people who went to work? The government is lying to the people."