The World - News from July 20, 1988

Peruvian police arrested more than 200 anti-government demonstrators at the start of a 48-hour nationwide general strike to protest rising prices and to demand wage increases. The strike, called, by the 1.5 million-member General Confederation of Workers of Peru, began despite Labor Ministry warnings that any stoppage would be illegal. Thousands of workers stayed home , and only a few supermarkets and stores opened in downtown Lima. Banks held regular hours, but there were few workers inside. Among the protesters’ targets are government-approved hikes of up to 100% for food prices and rising inflation, expected to hit 400% this year.