About 5,000 farmers participated in a general labor stoppage during the past seven days in San Martin state, some 750 kilometers northeast of the country's capital, Lima, said the Peruvian National Police.

The protests turned into an angry mob on Thursday and started looting and taking over public offices, including an attempt to occupy a local airport.

The farmers complain that the central government has refused tohelp them lift their burden of debt by purchasing 20,000 tons of their rice.

The President of the Council of Ministers, Luis Solari confirmed on Thursday morning that the government has sent a high-level delegation to San Martin to work out a solution to meet the farmers' demands.

The government is prepared to open dialogue with the strikers when peace is restored in San Martin, Solari said.

Solari also accused Tarapot Mayor Marina Aguilar of inciting demonstrators to take the airport, which led to clashes with the police.

Public order has been reportedly restored so far in some areas of the state.

(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2002)