La Paz Bolivia: "“Tomorrow, we will sack this place"

international | anti-capitalism | other press

Wednesday June 08, 2005 09:39

by eeekkkk

.

Are they afraid of the more than 100 blockades around the country. Because, for example... Santa Cruz is now living through its third day with all the highways connecting it to the rest of the world blockaded… the region’s peasant farmers and indigenous have not moved. In La Paz as well, the shortages are now obvious… since yesterday there is no bread being sold, no gasoline, no gas for cooking…

Or are Hormando Vaca Diez and the other politicians afraid of the groups fighting in the streets of La Paz? Today, one of the slogans was clear: “Send Vaca to the slaughterhouse!” (“Vaca” is Spanish for “cow.”) The shouts of “die!” hurled against the Congress president (who seemed quite excited yesterday at the prospect of taking power) were no joke… the leader of the Movement of Unemployed Workers of La Paz, Jaime Alanoca, told us at the beginning of the day: “This is the big one… we won’t allow Hormando to govern for even two hours.”

“Tomorrow, we will sack this place,” was one of the slogans heard among the Aymara… and, surely taking that as a warning, the police tried to disperse the people unsuccessfully. This, and, for example, the march of more than 20,000 people today in Cochabamba (which the local farmers, the same ones behind the “water war” of 2000) have also blockaded, is what Hormando Vaca Diez is afraid of: he knows that we are now in outright civil war, and that if he assumes the presidency, it could get worse.

The basic demands on the Bolivian state, which have caused it its worst crisis in two decades, have not changed… as the Aymara leader said, nationalization (and, for many, going ahead with a constitutional assembly) remain the most important.

A few blocks from where Carlos Mesa sits in turmoil, while the guillotine of fate falls on him, the demonstrators are regrouping, enduring the teargas, raising barricades, and nothing can stop them…

What is next? We don’t know, but in these moments we are heading towards the front lines of combat to find out what the people, fighting for democracy from below, have to say… prepare yourselves, readers, because the teargas can take your breath away…

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Comments (5 of 5)

Bread & War

by Paulo Jove

Fri Jun 10, 2005 03:15

As the original entry states many truths, we would like to clarify that there was only one day where local bakeries that supply a large percent of bread in the city of La Paz went on strike as a show of solidarity. However, bread is now available at a increased price. Large percentage of households and public kitchens use compressed gas/propane to cook; these small tanks when empty are refilled by an exchange of a full one delivered by large trucks driving through neighborhoods. These tanks are now scarce because of roadblocks adding to the difficult situation.
As far as an ¨outright civil war¨ we feel what you say, but technically we are not there yet. The only bloodshed at this point was done today by police as they fatally shot a 52 year old male miner in Sucre, our capital; . Did Vaca Diaz plan it this way as a symbol of indian bloodshed in such a colonial town?

We are seeing many Bolivianos come in solidarity and out of their homes to support the cry of the people with food, strength, shelter, aid, and various hunger strikes througout the country.

Vatican has been out there since the last resignation.

by holy joe+ - "now let's say a little prayer for the poorest of the americas"

Thu Jun 09, 2005 12:54

"The opinion of those we spoke to was to call early general elections to find a level of political and democratic balance," the Catholic Church said in a statement late Wednesday after days of negotiations to end the crisis...
The RC church was sent by Joseph Ratzinger on his election to pontiff and has chatted to everyone since the last abdication (covered here:-
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68874

and some ribbid ribbid coverage which reflects the unacceptable constitutional solution as the domino effects of resignations place the executive in the hands of pro-american millionaires backed by geneva educated economists :-
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5856167&cKey=1118294439000

(((I'm staying on this one, I'd appreciate it if someone stayed on Zimbabwe, I can't translate everything coz its producing thousands of new words every minute.)))

Solidarity!

by i. mac d.

Thu Jun 09, 2005 12:28

The Left in €urope has begun to mobilise its support at parliamentary level.
Join them please.

The Bolivian people are amongst the poorest on Earth, yet work to provide the first world with Gas, Oil and Soya.

They are the largest producer of soya in the world.

If you're a vegetarian you've eaten Bolivian soya bought at unsustainable prices.

"The Bolivian revolution is coming home."

At present throughout the country ordinary people, (much more than the miners / campesinos categories of cliché) are coming together to form representative assemblies, and they see those who believe in all political solutions of the "left" work together.

So come together in Europe. all of you.
Give them solidarity.
http://bolivia.indymedia.org/es/2005/06/19425.shtml

links on the popular assembly
http://bolivia.indymedia.org/es/2005/06/19421.shtml
http://bolivia.indymedia.org/es/2005/06/19417.shtml
http://argentina.indymedia.org/news/2005/06/298640.php
Their will even if it be the will of a minority must not be disregarded by the powerbrokers of neo-liberal capitalism and globalised post imperialism which has for so long kept their people so poor, if the state moves to elections "they must be clean, they must be observed, they must be free" "ribbid ribbid".

This is bolivia not eire.

it's her gas = it's her soya = it's her country

it's not his gun nor his helmet = but it is our flag, that patchwork of hope, autonomy and fine colours.

Well they haven't sacked it yet.

by ooooo

Thu Jun 09, 2005 11:07

But They've occupied the offices of repsol the spanish based petrochemical multi-national. The miners have gone on to the street with dynamite and been tear gassed, meanwhile the scene of political solution has moved to Sucre the former capital where the left is meeting to discuss out of the chaos of La Paz whether or not to support the new interim regime.
Bolivia indymedia has good coverage on this updating everyday, as you'd expect, if all the miners left their grim pits in ireland and marched on dublin and occupied the offices of Shell, Ola accompanied by the peasantry and set up camp outside the ministries you'd expect good coverage on indymedia ireland wouldn't you?

So there are calls for help-
with the ending of gas supplies orphanages and hospitals are effected, the prison makes mensual supplies and will not be effected till the end of the month.

In one of the cities popular assemblies have now taken the task of organisation. (that means what you think it means)
Bolivia is a campesino nation, 87% are indiginous the highest % of any south american state. the average income is 900$.

It's their gas.
It's their soya as well.

Solid@rity!

local indymedia coverage

by hmm

Wed Jun 08, 2005 11:41

photos:-
http://bolivia.indymedia.org/es/2005/06/19287.shtml

Videos 6th and 7th
Current situation in Bolivia.

The socio-political distress gets more heat as the days go by. We have put together a couple of video-audio reports, check it:

http:\\www.amandasdreamscape.com\june6bolivia.mpg
http:\\www.amandasdreamscape.com\june7bolivia.mpg

you need Quicktime to view these.
http://bolivia.indymedia.org/es/2005/06/19288.shtml

Photos 7th
http://bolivia.indymedia.org/es/2005/06/19213.shtml
http://bolivia.indymedia.org/es/2005/06/19251.shtml

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La Paz Bolivia: "“Tomorrow, we will sack this place"

Comments (5 of 5)