Cacerolazo in Lima: this is the origin of the noisy popular rejection

A country exposed to uncertainty. Suspended classes, food rotting on the roads, rising prices of goods, absence of vehicles on the streets and loss of large sums of money in the various sectors that activate our economy have been affected by recent events that have paralyzed Peru. The chain of unfortunate events began with the announcement of a shutdown of carriers - which was alerted since the end of 2021 - which was only the preamble to what was going to happen, as more organizations that have taken to the streets joined so that the president and the authorities in charge of the country listen to them and stop acting passively.

In the midst of this scenario, the open signal channels suspended programming for a few minutes to give way to the unexpected message to the nation of Pedro Castillo, in which he dictated that Lima and Callao were isolated as part of the immobilization order. This announcement was made in the first minutes of Tuesday, April 5, and surprised all those who woke up early to begin their work.

According to reports, the core of the conflict is in the interior of the country, not in the capital, so it is not possible to fully understand why this radical decision of the president is due. To express their rejection, the neighbors have gone out to their balconies and doors of the house with their pots, pans and other utensils to generate noises to the rhythm of constant beating with spoons, sticks, lids, among others.

ORIGIN OF THE CACEROLAZO: THE POPULAR PROTEST THAT SHATTERS A COUNTRY

For more than 180 years, the cacerolazo has become a tool for peaceful expression related to any type of complaint, but which in most cases is political in accordance with the current situation and which affects a significant percentage of civilians.

In these social circumstances, a pot or pan becomes the weapon of citizens to demand conscientious attention and action for the good of the people.

Although this collective activity has been adopted by most countries in Latin America, it has a European origin. 189 years ago, the Napoleonic Wars had a devastating impact on France, with its economy in agony, being one of the main obstacles to development. This scenario caused the inhabitants to look for new ways to make themselves heard without putting their lives at risk. This is how they began to use the pans to generate annoying noises in rejection of the pronouncements of the authorities.

¡ESTO ES CHILE!

The neighboring country is one of the territories that has used the cacerolazo as a sign of expression. On December 1, 1971, Chilean women organized “The March of the Empty Pots” in which they sought to protest against the policies of the socialist government of Salvador Allende.

The pots were raised in the air in the face of the repression of the dictatorship after the first major strike in the de facto government of Pinochet.

Venezuela also experienced a sound panorama in the historic “Caracazo”. Under the government of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, these types of demonstrations were carried out daily. Argentina has also robbed the country of silence at the rhythm of blows between utensils as a non-lethal weapon for visibility.

CACEROLAZO IN PERU

In recent years, Peruvians joined this nonviolent protest movement when Martín Vizcarra's vacancy was made official . It didn't take long for the scene to repeat itself with Manuel Merino, who lasted less than a week as the country's top power controller.

The record of President Pedro Castillo is also marked by this sound impact as an expression of non-acceptance in the face of the radical measures that have been taken in the framework of the demonstrations that have been taking place since the end of March.