Posted on Tue, Jun. 03, 2003 Defying state of emergency, thousands protest in Peru's capital By Lucien O. Chauvin and Kevin G. Hall Knight Ridder Newspapers LIMA, Peru - Thousands of Peruvian workers marched through the capital Tuesday in a mass demonstration for higher wages that defied a week-old state of emergency in the troubled Andean nation. Instead of ensuring public order, the emergency decree has made President Alejandro Toledo appear embattled, galvanized the opposition and brought more people into the streets. "Toledo is a liar," chanted marchers in Lima, reminding the unpopular president of his unmet campaign promises such as higher salaries and a better standard of living. Led by the General Confederation of Peruvian Workers, an estimated 12,000 people turned out to demand an end to the 30-day state of emergency that Toledo decreed on May 27. The march was in support of the 280,000-member teachers union, whose members have been on the picket line since May 12 demanding a $70 per month raise, while the government has offered $30. Teachers earn about $200 a month. Toledo, who was educated at Stanford University and rose to prominence through street marches that brought down the government of Alberto Fujimori, is backpedaling as criticism of his state of emergency grows. On Tuesday, his government issued a "supreme decree" giving the Finance Ministry eight days to present a retooled budget that gives teachers the raise they want. Finance Minister Javier Silva Ruete said the overhaul would mean across-the-board cutbacks in order to pay teachers. "We want the government to keep its promise. This is not about politics or bringing the president down, as the administration wants people to believe, it is about a livable wage for teachers," Carlos Linana, 45, who has taught 7th graders for the past two decades, said during Tuesday's march. In front of the congress on Tuesday, protesters chanted "a teacher's salary for lawmakers," a reference to the fact that members of Peru's congress earn approximately $8,000 a month plus numerous other bonus payments. Hoping to avoid a repeat of violence that left one dead and dozens seriously injured near the Bolivian border last week, soldiers on Tuesday were kept off the protest route in Lima, and police were limited to blocking streets to keep traffic flowing. Union leaders also did their part, confiscating clubs from some marchers. Teachers surrounded a group of stick-wielding construction workers when they reached the National Congress to prevent violence. Among the reasons for the plunging popularity of Toledo, South America's first elected president of "cholo," or native American, blood, is his own salary of $18,000 a month, set after his inauguration in July 2001. "Toledo earns more in one month than I'll earn in six years. He claims there isn't money for us, but there's always money for his salary and when he needs to travel," complained Marco Chacon, a teacher from Comas, one of Lima's poor outlying districts. Political analysts say Toledo, whose support in opinion polls has dwindled to 15 percent, urgently needs to change direction to regain credibility. In the southern half of the nation, his support is in single digits. "Toledo needs to resolve the teachers' strike, lift the state of emergency and make changes in the cabinet as soon as possible," Santiago Pedraglio, a political analyst, said Tuesday in a meeting with foreign journalists. In an effort to find a negotiated settlement to the teacher's strike, Toledo has called together the signatories of the National Accord, a policy blueprint for Peru's future that was unveiled last August and signed by the leaders of all political parties, as well as by unions and business groups. Toledo also named Bishop Luis Bambaren, a former president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference, to act as a mediator between the teachers' union and government negotiator. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © 2003 KR Washington Bureau and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.realcities.com