‘People’s need is being used politically’, Gamarra spokesman says of protests

Susana SaldanaPresident of Gamarra Peru Business Association, in dialogue with RPP Newsspoke about the current socio-political crisis that has been going on in various regions of the country since December 7 last year.

O, Saldana he believed that there were “political instigators” who would exploit the needs of the population for certain purposes.

“Here we see the political use of the need and the legitimate demands of many people, and they use and encourage because they are campaigning (…) This is what you have to talk to people, you have to tell them the truth,” he said.

Similarly, he pointed out that “one should not get involved in the game” of those who are trying to divide the Peruvians.

“What is happening in the country is getting our attention and I think we should not get caught up in the game of creating new differences between Peruvians. I think we’re all called to say ‘enough already‘it’s better to say’What are we doing to unite to move the country forward?noticed.

In this sense, he emphasized that the majority of Peruvians work “to give the country something good.” In addition, he emphasized that Gamarrathe vast majority of merchants from the regions.

“More than 90% of people working in Gamarra we are from the provinces. We all came to Lima to build a homeland, build a country, work, maintain a formal life, create jobs and pay taxes. It’s been our job all these years and Gamarra She showed this a long time ago because she resisted terrorism, dictatorships (…) and we continue to resist political crises,” he said.

“We couldn’t reach pre-pandemic sales levels”

Secondly, Saldana deplored the fact that, despite the efforts of manufacturers and traders Gamarrahas not yet been able to reach pre-pandemic levels of trade.

“We are doing our best, but because of what is not in our hands, we cannot move forward. For example, we failed to exceed 50% of the pre-pandemic level of sales. We expected that in 2022, we would close the end of the campaign with better results. In 2021, we could not exceed 40%. We expected to pass it, and we did not come,” he said.

“The employment rate is not only in Gamarra and about our industry we are talking about a million jobs. Half a million Peruvians are still waiting to recover their jobs from these maps that went bankrupt during the pandemic,” he added.

He also believed that mips in the regions “support the protests”; but they do not agree with the blockade of roads, which ultimately damages their commercial activities.

“The textile apparel sector is about 100,000 micro and small companies across the country. More than 50% – throughout the country, more than 30% – in the south, in all these regions where there is still no work. producers in Lima, but this also applies to them, because they do not sell, they have been unemployed for more than two months, what do they need to live on than to support their families,” he said.