As protests by farmworkers continue in Peru over workers\u2019 rights and better wages,
\nhundreds of trucks and tractor-trailers carrying fresh fruit were stranded along the key PanAmerican Highway south of Lima.<\/p>\n
The demonstrations, which have been going on for days, spread north into key agricultural
\nareas of the Andes, hindering harvests of some crops, crippling transport of produce and
\nleaving at least one dead, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n
The interim President of Peru, Francisco Sagasti, said the death of the protester was a
\n\u201ctragedy\u201d and told reporters there would be an immediate investigation into the casualty.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not want anyone to die in protests to defend their labor rights,\u201d Sagasti said.<\/p>\n
Protests last month led to the death of two young people in Lima and to the resignation of
\nManuel Merino, the previous President of Peru whose term lasted for five days in
\nNovember.<\/p>\n
Farmworkers alleged police had attacked protesters to clear roadways and subdue the
\ndemonstrations, which spread northwards from the country\u2019s south into growing regions of
\ntable grapes, blueberries and tangerines.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe workers [\u2026] have been attacked by the police who have arrived in great numbers to
\nprevent them from continuing to block the road,\u201d said Juan Herrera, a national leader of
\nagrarian workers.<\/p>\n
Workers from Campsol, a major fruit exporter, joined the conflict on Thursday. Farm
\nlaborers from agro-exporter Talsa announced they too would join the protests on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll activities have been paralyzed, there are no harvests, there is nothing. Grapes and
\nasparagus are going bad, we are in the middle of the season for these two crops,\u201d Fernando
\nCilloniz, a grape exporter, told Reuters.<\/p>\n
Peru is a major global exporter of blueberries as well as grapes, avocados and asparagus.<\/p>\n
Negotiations between the government and protest leaders have failed to reach an
\nagreement, though lawmakers have committed to reviewing a decades-old agriculture
\npromotion law that farmworkers view as unjust.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n