Road Closed...Again!

This week I have been teaching English to the teachers at the Christian School in Chisec.  Normally, the travel back and forth between the mission site in San Simon 1 and the school, takes about 10 minutes and is an easy drive.  But this week has been anything but normal.
The price of cardamom dropped and the people were in an uproar.  If your only crop is cardamom, you have this one window of opportunity to sell your produce and make your annual income.  They were in panic mode! For them the drop in price is the difference between being able to fee their family or not.  And, only way for them to express their frustration is to block the road and shut the country down. And, so, the road was closed again.     
 They cut down trees and drag them across the highway and pile up large rocks so no car or truck can drive over them.  They usually burn tires as well and the people all stand in a line across the road.  The people here say this is the only way for them to communicate with the government their disagreement over something.  I cannot say that I either agree with or completely understand this process, but it happens a lot around here.  
In my North American mind, I don't understand why the police don't come and clear the road.  They are blocking all of the traffic on the major (and only) highway in this part of the country.  It would be like us closing HWY #1 every 5 km between Chase and Merritt, to ensure there would be no way to get around the blockades.   
But here in our little corner of the country there are no police, only army, and they certainly don't attend blockades and wouldn't clear them even if they themselves were stuck.  And so, the people demonstrated their power by shutting things down.  Nothing and no one got through.  Including me! 
When this happens, I feel the full range of emotions.  Frustration - I am frustrated that I cannot fulfill my responsibilities, and that I am being punished for something out of my control.  Empathetic - The cardamom farmers will not be able to feed their families if the prices don't increase.  Sad - How sad is it that the people have no other means by which to express themselves to the government.  Afraid - Because I am North American, I am a target for anger - I am part of the affluent sector of society (even if that is not the truth). 
Will this system ever improve?  I don't have the answers, but I serve the One who does.  And, so, I pray!