A City Wide Protest

This last week, the city of Iquitos decided to throw a protest for education and oil. After city-wide planning and encouragement, the entire city of Iquitos shut down for 24 hours (The fact that we live 25 minutes outside of town was beautiful. No-one celebrated anything, just carried on with their lives). People threw trash, glass, bricks, logs, and sticks in order to hinder, and stop, the traffic. Roads were blocked off, public transportation was non-existent, and every one was out in the street (literally) playing volleyball and soccer.

Due to there being no transportation, I took our cook back to her house on the other side of town. We were advised to stay off the main roads (bad idea), so we took back roads (horrible idea). Every other road was blocked off, and when you tried to pass through the barricade, people became enraged –I am fortunate in the fact that I am big, white, and male so there were no confrontations, only words exchanged. Everyone was out playing, and frustrated that you (or rather me and the other traffic) were trying to carry on with our lives. In over an hour of transportation, I saw 4 cops. Everything was incredible un-normal, but at the same time, normal for everyone else.

The next day, after the paro (strike in Spanish), everyone was back out in the streets, but this time cleaning everything up. It was an interesting strike in the fact that a strike, at least how I know it (parading around with signs, standing in front of the administration building, clashing with police –I think that the police actually stayed home from work and were participating), was no where to be found. Their idea of a strike was to just stay at home playing and throwing trash in the street. I don’t know how they judge strikes –as in how successful they are –but it was successful in the fact that it scared a bunch of gringos (there was a nursing group here from Washington that was adamant about not leaving the office). The strike did also increase business for the mechanics and tire repair shops –flat tires were rampant.

Sadly, I was unable to take any photos –maybe next time – but there was glass, burning trash, yard/random debris, everywhere you went. It reminded me of a scene out of the movie, “Black Hawk Down.” We learn something new every day down here…