Community leaders are accusing the police of harassing the organizers of Tuesday’s national day of protest. Fernando Morillo, of the National Unity Council, said that all popular leaders are being followed by agents “in a provocative manner.” Four such organizers were arrested by police in the Villa Maria district of the capital on Wednesday night, as they were posting flyers publicizing the protest. “Wherever we go, they are following us… we have to creep around with plain-clothed officials outside our houses,” said Morillo, who added that this sort of “repression” would only succeed in strengthening people’s resolve to join the protests. The one-day strike has been called by a number of civil society groups, including trade unions and youth groups, in protest at what they call “the most serious crisis in the last 50 years.” The dissenters believe the grave situation has arisen from the present government’s economic policies. “The diabolical race towards foreign debt, the festival of abusive and marginally illegal taxation, combined with President Mejia’s obsession with re-election, has brought the country to the brink of a crisis with consequences that cannot be predicted,” pronounced Morillo, who went on to say that the IMF agreement was “the last straw,” which would only result in more misery for the people. He called on the public to join in the protest, and said the President still has a chance to “put the country back on track” by introducing policies to reduce inflation and fuel prices, raise salaries and impose taxes on the rich. Trade union leader Ramon Perez Figuereo, as quoted in El Caribe, declared that everything was in place for Tuesday’s protest, which he assured would be peaceful, and saying that 50 popular organizations across the country were supporting the strike action. He called on the President to rethink his economic policies and to reflect on the effects on poor people of the measures that come with the IMF agreement. “Not everything can be solved with a joke, especially when an egg costs four pesos,” said Perez Figuereo, in a clear reference to the President’s habit of responding to serious questions with jocularity. Police Chief Jaime Marte Martinez said that his forces were ready to deal with any incident that threatens public order and Interior & Police Minister Pedro Franco Badia called on the protestors to remain within the law.