This Controversial Apartheid Wall Separates The Rich And Poor In Peru, South America

*COMPOSITE* CEN_SeparationWall_03

No, I am not talking a poetic wall separating the two. There is an actual wall in the South American nation of Peru totaling 10 Kilometers whose prime purpose is to keep out the “ruffians” away from the affluent parts of the Lima city. It reminds us of the Berlin wall with a concrete structure and over 10 feet high throughout. It is also covered with barbed wire and is now being called as the Wall of Shame or Peru’s Berlin Wall. The Berlin chapter of Apartheid wasn’t a social buffer, it was a political buffer between the communist and capitalist parts of the world. It remains an iconic part of the Cold War era even though it is gone and younger generations always ridicule how something this irrational could have ever gone up right in the center of the city.

Lima's wall of shame3

It turns out we have Berlin Walls in Post-Cold War era too like this one in Peru. It is such a long structure that it is easily plotted on a satellite image from space. It separates Las Casuarinas from the poor Vista Hermosa and tells a tale of blatant inequality and injustice even in these modern times. The Vista Hermosa is without basic amenities including healthcare, sanitation and clean water and with it comes to a sense of neglect, hate, and revenge. So far, the neighborhoods haven’t seen much violence, but it might be inevitable with a wall of this kind separating the two areas as if they were separate countries with heightened tensions.

Lima's wall of shame

Just like the Berlin Wall, the Peruvians make a lot of anti-wall graffiti on it. They have called it a disgrace and social organizers have done mass protests at the site.

Pic shows: The wall and kids painting it together with the organization Brigada Muralista. A "Wall of Shame" that separates rich people from the less fortunate in society has gone up on the outskirts of the Peruvian capital Lima. Locals say it is a disgrace and have put videos and images of it on the Internet in a bid to shame those who built it and support it. The structure of wire and cement measures over 10 feet high and has also been nicknamed "Peru's Berlin Wall". The Wall of Shame splits up the neighbourhoods of San Juan de Miraflores and Surco. The line divides the urbanisation of Las Casuarinas, where some of the country's richest inhabitants live and the poor suburb of Vista Hermosa next door. The wall was initially put up over fears that the inhabitants from the poor neighbourhood would rob their nearby wealthy fellow citizens. Never before seen images and angles of the wall taken by a drone have only served to intensify the debate between the rich and poor. A local media report about the wall said: "The wooden houses illuminated by candles and the broken roofs are contrasted by multi-million pound houses within a few kilometres." The YouTube video shows barefooted children walking along the outside of the wall. The images also show the indignant slogans graffitied upon it. One sign said: "My country is yours, my country is mine, my country is everybody's." The footage was filmed by three initiatives "Muralist Brigade", "Open Space" and "Hunger", which came together at the weekend with the help of children and locals to paint a mural on the wall. The groups, whose aim is to give colour to the ugly cement construction, made a call on Facebook asking for "hands and hearts to paint the wall of shame" Latin America together with the Caribbean has, according to Oxfam, the highest wage disparity in the world. In a 2014 report, they found the richest 1 percent own 41 percent of the regional wealth, whilst the remaining 99 per cent make do with 59 percent between them. (ends)

The residents of Las Casuarinas believe the wall was just erected to decrease the crime rate in their neighborhoods. Statistically, they argued that people at the poorer end were bringing crime into the city and the residents thought a wall would regulate their movement. Does this remind you of a certain American politician with an aim to build a great wall? Hint: His name starts with Donald and ends with Trump….

The Wall of Shame recently drew attention on the media with the footage, graffiti, and slogans becoming a cult symbol in the country.

Around 30% population of Lima is living in these walled dwellings due to the rise in crime from poor areas like these. Stats like these attempt to justify the story from the other side.

But, that is no way to overcome this problem. It can only aggravate the situation. That is what history teaches us. Would someone try to educate Trump’s supporters on it too?

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