The Unión Gremial de Lima y Callao has announced a complete shutdown of urban transport services across Lima and Callao for August 25.
Union leaders called the stoppage following silence from the national government and a refusal by President Keiko Fujimori to grant a meeting to address a severe crisis of extortion and murders targeting public transit personnel.
The decision was confirmed through a formal statement issued by the group, which represents bus operators in Peru's capital region. Transport representatives noted that criminal organizations have repeatedly targeted workers and company executives across the urban transit network.
Fatal attacks and extortion crisis
The union highlighted a series of violent attacks against bus drivers, ticket collectors and passengers recorded throughout August. Among the fatal incidents was the August 6 attack in the northern district of Los Olivos against Eugenio Benítez Tacanga, general manager of the Empresa de Transportes Corazón de Jesús de San Diego, who died after being shot.
According to union leaders, the systemic collection of illegal protection fees has worsened due to the absence of a coordinated public security policy against organized crime. The group stated that extortion rings and hitmen are behind the violence, inflicting severe financial losses on transport companies while inflating service costs for daily passengers.
Security proposals and prison controls
To combat the wave of crime, transport organizations previously submitted a package of technical security proposals to the executive branch. The measures call for strengthening specialized police units, implementing strict controls over inmate communications inside penitentiary facilities, and maintaining a permanent police presence at bus stops designated as high risk.
Union representatives said they have received no formal response from government officials regarding the evaluation of these proposals. The upcoming strike aims to compel the executive branch to clarify whether it possesses an active security strategy for the transit sector and whether the union's recommendations have been considered.
Conditions for cancellation and dialogue
Lima serves as Peru's capital and largest metropolis, while the neighboring constitutional province of Callao holds its main seaport. The combined urban region depends on extensive fleets of private buses and minibuses, where extortion rackets run by organized crime groups have become a recurring threat to transit workers and commuters.
The Unión Gremial specified that the August 25 strike will be called off if the executive branch grants the requested meeting and establishes a formal working table prior to that date. Transport leaders stated that the planned protest will remain peaceful, emphasizing that operators remain open to dialogue with government authorities.
