Street vendors in Lima in the time of COVID-19: Guilty or oppressed?

Abstract

Key Messages For many informal workers—including street vendors—staying at home and stopping working during the pandemic cannot be considered feasible options for many reasons.Analyzing informal street vending activities as a homogeneous phenomenon risks provoking misleading interpretations of street vendors solely as victims or as irresponsible people.Recognizing there is heterogeneity in street vending helps to illuminate the different social representations, identities, and strategies used by street vendors.