Protest March

For certain, this volunteer role is not like what we’ve done before in Brazil. Today, after serving the abuelos breakfast and quickly washing the dishes, our job was to help them participate in a march and rally protesting violence against women and children. I don’t read much Spanish, but I’m pretty sure there were also reproductive rights included as well, although that was not mentioned when I asked Sister Jackie what we were marching for or against.

We started in a park and walked for an hour and a half. This is quite an undertaking for these elderly people, some of whom were only wearing slippers, instead of real shoes. There were a variety of organizations represented, including several large groups of children. Everyone carried signs and banners, sang and clapped as we made our way to a plaza in front of the police station.

There was considerable police presence and apparently the female police officers of the neighborhood were also organizers of the rally. There is a police station that is only women since for so long the male police officers were part of the problem. Officers blocked the road to ensure that no one interfered with the march, although one asked what the march was for – just a job for them, I guess, to protect the marchers since it was apparently sanctioned by the city.

At the end of the march there were speakers, music, singers and dancers. Apparently civil protest combined with music and dance is the norm in much of South America. And by the way, the road is still blocked, five days later, from Juliaca to Puno because the government will not agree to provide the money for road repairs needed in the jungle. Very, very different from our experiences in Brazil.