Protesters Block Road in Colombo Suburb as Sri Lanka Defaults on Debt

Protesters blocked a road in a suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital on May 19 as the country defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time.

Footage posted to Twitter by Klinten A Cruz shows a demonstration beneath a flyover in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Colombo’s largest suburb.

According to news reports, protests took place across the country as residents faced fuel shortages.

Headline inflation was set to hit 40 percent, Nandalal Weerasinghe, the central bank governor, said in a briefing.

The IMF said in late April it would “support Sri Lanka’s efforts to overcome the current economic crisis.” Credit: Klinten A Cruz via Storyful