Brazil president orders army to clear truckers’ blockades

A truckers protest over diesel prices that has crippled key sectors of Latin America’s biggest economy dragged into Friday night, putting drivers in a standoff with Brazilian President Michel Temer who authorised military force to clear highways.

The protest will stretch into its sixth day on Saturday. South America’s largest city and economic hub Sao Paulo decreed a state of emergency, as did Rio de Janeiro.

Gas stations and airports across the nation ran out of fuel, supermarket shelves went bare and hospitals said they were running out of supplies, reports Reuters.

Public transport and trash collection was reduced or halted across the country, and many schools cancelled classes as teachers could not get to work.

Lack of feed supplies may cause one billion birds and 20 million hogs to die, Brazilian meat group ABPA said.

“Those blocking the highways and acting in a radical manner are hurting the population,” Temer said in a televised address. “We will not allow hospitals to run out of supplies to save lives. We will not allow children to be harmed by the closure of schools.”

Yet Friday night, much of the country remained paralysed.

Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann said at a Friday night news conference that there were over 500 blockades on roadways across Brazil, but that was half of those registered 24 hours before.

Brazil’s oil regulator ANP said once roads are completely cleared, it would still take a week to normalise fuel supplies nationwide.

In response to the threat of military action, Abcam, a Brazilian truckers association that says it represents 600,000 drivers, called on them to no longer block roads.

However, it encouraged drivers to keep protesting and not deliver goods, meaning it was likely the situation would remain critical.