The news tonight
10.15.2003The president was supposed to speak at 8pm. It seems likely he might step down. Or he could instead call for a state of siege, and start a real military crack down. But no word yet; he's still conferencing w/ leaders of the government coalition parties.
In the meantime, news images poured across the different channels.
In Cochabamba, the conflict seems to've worsened. Protesters assaulted the prefecture (the state capitol), attempting to set it on fire. The threw molotov cocktails, dynamite, and used fire arms. Several university students were arrested, armed, even w/ ammunition for FAL rifles.
The ex-Defensora del Pueblo, Ana Maria Romero, is leading a hunger strike by intellectuals that call for the president's resignation. The group includes Sacha Lloreti, the head of the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (ADPH) and Samuel Doria Medina (the richest man in Bolivia).
La Paz protests seem to've turned more pacific, calling for an end to the violence, as well as the president's resignation.
Images of indigenos w/ rifles, posing for pictures, calling for civil war most likely sends chills down the spine of the mestizo middle class.
Jaime Solares, head of the Bolivian Worker's Federation (COB) has ordered (that's the word he used) the nation's women to go on hunger strike to demand the president's resignation. Meanwhile, the First Lady asked the nation's women to join together to pray for peace.
Some TV stations admit to having received anonymous threats, including threatening to blow up a TV station. Contrary to rumors, the media announced that it was not under government censorship, and continued working as normal. The government, of course, announced that it wants news reporters to do their work as they see fit. However, TV images just flashed, showing protesters throwing rocks at news reporters, shouting to detain them.
Santa Cruz taxi and bus drivers announced they would violate the order from the COB to go on strike. Traffic continues as normal in the country's largest city. The city's health workers, however, are going on strike.
A communiqué from Beni's Comite Civico was just released coming in defense of the president and constitutional democracy. This makes four (of nine) departments coming formally to the president's defense. The others are Santa Cruz, Tarija, and Cochabamba (despite protests in that city).
Ironically, a commercial just announced that October is Tourism Month in Bolivia. Of course, Bolivia's tourist industry is now at all time low, not likely to recover any time soon.
Posted by Miguel at 09:02 PM
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