Peruvian trade unionists, students and indigenous organisations took to the streets on 4 July in a ‘day of struggle’ to demand a ‘new economic model’, in a challenge to the government. Thousands protested in Lima, where they clashed with police. Demonstrations also took place in Cusco, Arequipa, Lambayeque and other regions.

President Humala’s administration has been implementing a range of reforms that the government says will streamline state services, improve education and facilitate more foreign investment.

However the Confederación General de Trabajadores del Perú union condemned the government as having abandoned workers’ rights and strategic state enterprises in favour of privatisation, contrary to President Humala’s campaign promises. A spokesman warned that the new labour law would destroy job security and collective bargaining, which could contravene ILO conventions. They fear a repeat of mass public job losses as in the 1990s.

The government also faces opposition from students, who have clashed with police repeatedly in recent months over a new university law. Students say that the reform would undermine universities’ autonomy and could lead to higher fees.

Protesters also marked the anniversary of the deaths of five protesters against the Conga mine in Cajamarca, northern Peru. Head of the human rights coalition, the Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Rocío Silva Santisteban, described the ‘criminalisation of protest’ as part of the government’s strategy to maximise investment in the extractive industries.

Writing in La Republica newspaper, Silva Santisteban set out a range of demands. She echoed calls for stronger labour rights, including for textile workers who are subject to 50-year old ‘exceptional regimes’. The law on prior consultation of indigenous peoples should be implemented, she said, which requires the publication of the database of qualifying communities. She urged the government to accompany this with a clear process of territorial planning to help avoid conflict over major projects such as mines. Other demands included subsidised housing and legalising abortion where the mother’s health is at risk.

Although small compared to recent protests in Brazil and Chile, the mobilisations occurred as Humala faces a severe drop in his popularity.