(Bloomberg) -- A Lima bus strike that shut schools and upended hospital schedules is also shining a light on the power of Peru’s extortion gangs.
At least three bus drivers have been murdered in recent weeks for failing to pay protection money, according to Martin Valeriano, the head of Anitra, a group that represents transport workers in the capital.
Without buses, many Lima residents were unable to move around, leading the education ministry to suspend classes in all public schools in the city. Many companies told employees to stay home and work remotely.
Extortion of bus and taxi drivers is a common problem across Latin America. Although Peru remains far less violent than neighbors such as Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil, public safety concerns are rising, heaping more pressure on unpopular President Dina Boluarte, who has a single-digit approval rating.
Peru’s Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen told reporters in Lima that the government is creating a special squad to combat extortion, and is declaring a state of emergency in 10 of the capital’s 43 districts. This suspends the right to assembly, allows police to enter homes without a warrant and allows the army to be deployed to support public safety.
Adrianzen acknowledged that some drivers have been murdered, but declined to give a figure.
“This government does not worry about tending to its people who are bleeding to death,” Valeriano said in a press conference from Congress, as his voice cracked. “Where are we living? It seems like a no man’s land.”
The Automotive Association of Peru estimates that about half of Lima’s workers depend on buses.
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