UPDATE (Jan. 28): Port workers have decided to strike again, alleging their employers have not upheld their end of the agreement.

UPDATE: Chile's port companies, workers and the government have reached a deal to bring strikes to a close. Click here for more details.

Chile's fruit growers, exporters and workers converged on country's capital Santiago yesterday to make their voices heard, calling for an end to port strikes that have cost hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, along with many damaged reputations.

Photo: Comite Puertos sin Paro

A caravan of 200 vehicles and buses, and a total of 1,500 people from the Metropolitan, VI (O'Higgins), VII (Maule) and VIII (Biobio) regions passed through the city from the corner of General Velasquez and Alameda, through to the notorious meeting point for Chile's protests, Plaza Italia.

The peaceful caravan was organized by the "Ports Without Strikes" Committee, which aims to raise awareness among the general public about the strikes' impact on the fruit sector.

"We only claim the right to grow and to be able to export. Today fruit is being lost and as seasonal fruit workers we are without our source of work. No to strikes!" claimed the group, who say they do not have a spokesperson.

"Every participant is a spokesperson. We are defending what is ours and that is the production of fruit, the source of work and our exports."

Click here for further background on the issue, or here for photos from the caravan protest.

www.freshfruitportal.com