Bolivia: Fourth week of anti-regime protests 

Published May 26 in the Prensa section of kaosenlared.net. Translation: John Catalinotto

Protesters demanding Bolivia’s president resign have set up 59 roadblocks in six of the country’s nine regions. On May 23, the government’s plan to clear the roads through a joint military and police operation failed for the second time.

Resistance from the Indigenous Aymara people of the Altiplano, along the route from La Paz to Oruro, prevented the combined forces — tactical squads made up of military and police — and a minister in charge of the operation from carrying out the road-opening measure, forcing them to withdraw from the area via alternate dirt roads.

This Monday (May 25) marks the fourth week of protests in Bolivia demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz Pereira. Throughout the day, a massive mobilization of various social sectors filled the Paseo del Prado in downtown La Paz.

Columns of farmers from the southern part of La Paz, residents of the city of El Alto, mining workers, neighborhood associations and representatives of various unions expressed their massive rejection of the government and its privatization plan. In parallel with the main rally, a group of protesters was repressed by the police as they attempted to enter Plaza Murillo, a big square in La Paz near the Legislative Palace.

The demonstrations marked the fourth week of protests organized by the Bolivian Workers’ Union (COB), alongside nearly 60 roadblocks in six regions of the country.

During the day, there were also street blockades in La Paz to protest fuel shortages, while a group of protesters prevented passengers and cargo from entering and exiting at the gates of El Alto International Airport.

Aymara Indigenous people lead protest

Resistance from the Aymara people of the Altiplano, along the route from La Paz to Oruro, prevented the combined forces and a minister in charge of the operation from carrying out the road-clearing measure, forcing them to withdraw from the area via alternate dirt roads.

During this operation, a 24-year-old peasant farmer died, an event that enraged and sparked greater resistance among peasant communities.

The Bolivian Workers’ Union (COB) opened the possibility of dialogue with the government under two conditions: the release of those detained in the clashes of recent days and the suspension of the arrest warrant against the organization’s executive, Mario Argollo, and other union leaders.

The regime did not respond to this proposal for dialogue. Previously, President Rodrigo Paz stated that those who block roads must submit to the Constitution and the rule of law.

For its part, the Bolivian Highway Administration recorded 59 roadblocks in six of the country’s nine regions, after a second police and military operation to clear the main highway between La Paz and Oruro failed on Saturday (May 23).

In compliance with a class-action ruling issued by the Second Constitutional Chamber of La Paz, the union strictly instructed all its members to act with humanitarian consideration [regarding special needs of travelers].

The specific directive requires ensuring immediate and unrestricted passage at all roadblocks for ambulances, emergency vehicles, healthcare personnel and medication transport to protect persons at risk.

The official map indicated protests in La Paz, Oruro, Potosí, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, while Beni, Pando and Tarija remained free of roadblocks.

The failed government operation, dubbed the “Humanitarian Corridor with White Flags,” attempted to clear a path between La Paz and Oruro using tractors, police and military personnel, who deployed tear gas in the face of protesters’ resistance. After the convoy passed, protesters simply re-erected barriers using dirt, rocks and logs.

Translator’s note: La Paz, Bolivia’s capital, sits at about 12,000 feet above sea level. El Alto is adjacent to La Paz, but at 13,000 feet and is a residential city housing mainly Indigenous people who work in the capital. Each city has nearly a million people living in it.