Trade union centers in Uruguay are holding a 24-hour strike “against starvation and inequality” in the country, demanding more government action against the social and economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
After keeping the virus at bay for almost the entirety of 2020, Uruguay experienced a pandemic nightmare in 2021: of the country’s 5,142 coronavirus deaths, more than 4,000 were reported in the last three months.
According to union leaders, protests are “marching for lives,” calling on President Luis Lacalle Pou to find a solution to “more than 100,000 poor and over 80,000 new unemployed Uruguayans.” In the meantime, the 3.5-million-people nation has enjoyed a fast vaccine rollout: as of today, more than 38 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.
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