Mass arrests over Peru protests

There is widespread discontent with President Garcia's free trade policies

Peruvian police say they have arrested 156 people during a second day of nationwide protests against the government's free market policies.

Some 30,000 police and 6,000 soldiers were deployed to keep order.

The protests come just over a month after clashes over land rights in the Amazon left at least 33 people dead.

On Tuesday, President Alan Garcia announced changes to his cabinet, amid sharp criticism of the government's handling of those protests.

The latest demonstrations were called by the CGTP union, which is demanding wage increases for public sector workers and the cancellation of Peru's free trade agreement with the US.

Police cleared highway blockades in four provinces on Wednesday, as transport workers and teachers led strikes and demonstrations.

Peru's national police chief said 156 people were arrested across the country, including 127 in the capital Lima, where some 2,500 people staged a rally in the downtown area.

Pressure building

The government blamed the demonstrations on what they call communist groups supported by foreign governments such as Bolivia and Venezuela.

But the social discord appears to be firmly rooted in Peru, where the pressure is building on President Garcia and his government, the BBC's Dan Collyns reports from Lima.

On Tuesday, Mr Garcia said he would reshuffle his cabinet by the weekend.

The announcement followed criticism over the way his government dealt with protests by indigenous groups last month. More than 30 police officers and protesters were killed as security forces tried to end a two-month-long blockade of roads and fuel pipelines by indigenous people.

Opinion polls show President Garcia is increasingly unpopular and that most Peruvians blame his government for the escalation of tensions which led to the violence.