It's odd to come back to the apartment every week without seeing a new list of tasks. Senõr Ortega is away, but I'm still being paid, so I keep coming. There's plenty to do, and I'd rather be in here than out there.
There are more soldiers on the streets now, harassing people, shouting out orders. They claim to be searching for insurgents, terrorists. They say they're protecting us. But for most folks the effect is intimidation. We're left with an unsettling sense of insecurity. A fear that gets under the skin, which of course plays into the hands of the authorities. People get quiet. It's always the same - any political regime benefits from frightened and obedient citizens.
And to be clear, it's Miraflores' soldiers who are the ones dealing out the terror.
This shit has a tendency to backfire, though. I wouldn't be surprised if the new security restrictions lead to much greater support for the Yaguara rebels.
Anyway, back to work. Cleaning this place up will calm my nerves.