The Paraguayan government will clear the roads in the face of the refusal to lift the blockades

Asunción, March 17 (EFE). — The government of Paraguay announced on Thursday that it would begin clearing roads affected by the blockades, given the protesters' refusal to lift protests motivated by rising fuel prices and threatening to radicalize them. Paraguay celebrates the fourth day of protests on various roads, despite the announcement by the state-owned oil company to reduce the price of two of the most used fuels in the country to date. Protesters, mostly truck drivers, believe that the reduction is insufficient and threaten to lengthen the intervals during which they block the passage on the roads. The Minister of the Interior, Federico Gonzárez, assured the local media that the police, with the support of the Public Prosecutor's Office, will be in charge of clearing the roads and enforcing “the Constitution and the laws”. Gonzárez confirmed that the executive remains open to dialogue, but said he sees a “very strong political component” in the blockades. The protesters “asked for one thing, it was given to them. They asked for another one, it was granted with a lot of effort and now they are asking for another one that has nothing to do with it,” he told ABC Cardinal radio. For example, he referred to the call for the elimination of the selective tax on consumption, which taxes products which are not considered essential and those which pollute the environment, such as fuels. For his part, the commander of the national police, Gilberto Fleitas, told journalists that they would direct their operations to “the places where the concentration of vehicles is greatest.” “Citizens have to go about their normal lives and their normal jobs,” Fleitas said. Congestion was maintained at more than thirty points along the country's main roads, especially those connecting the city of Asunción with Argentina and Brazil, forcing passenger transport companies to cease operations. The director of the Paraguayan Chamber of International Transport, Humberto Rodas, told local media that they had suspended the service between Asunción and the Brazilian cities of Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Rhodes has estimated that some 400 units serving short routes and another 600 that cover medium and long distance routes have ceased operations. He said that companies that transport passengers between the Paraguayan cities of Ciudad del Este and Villarica have stopped their departures to Buenos Aires. In turn, economic sectors warned that the protests threatened to generate shortages of products such as flour, wheat and dairy products. Poultry producers have also warned of a possible “short term” shortage due to road cuts. The protests began Monday demanding a reduction in fuel prices, after six hikes in a year. Petroleos Paraguayos (Petropar) has since today reduced the price per liter of Type III diesel and 93-octane gasoline sold by 500 guaraníes (0.072 cents). In addition, the government has submitted a bill to Congress to create a fund to stabilize fuel prices through an import subsidy.