Political organizations as well as workers unions and popular front organizations are holding a 24-hour strike in the Cibao Valley. The strike is centered in Santiago, and has all but shut down a major portion of the taxi companies and many of the buses that serve the public. A total of 57 organizations are backing the strike, which calls for the government to change its economic policies and reject the fiscal reforms now proposed in the Congress. Also among the demands is a reduction in fuel prices and electricity bills. The strike has shut down transportation along some of the city’s major arteries, and made access to schools and universities, businesses and industries an odyssey for students, clients and workers. Towns such as Licey al Medio, Navarrete, and Tamboril are effectively cut off from Santiago.