Peru in mourning: ‘The virus has changed everything’

The country reeling from pandemic is on track for one of the longest lockdowns in the world. There are many reasons for Peru’s brutal coronavirus numbers, not least its informal labour force. While this is an issue across Latin America and the whole developing world, it is particularly acute in Peru. The IMF says 70 per cent of employment is informal, against a Latin American average of 54 per cent. Many Peruvians say they have to break lockdown to work and survive.