Ciao!

Oh, Chapare

Mail arrived today! That's always a great feeling, standing up on the stool, peeking into my mail box, and seeing the snatch of paper that tells me I've a package waiting for me.

The news is starting to slow down a bit. Mesa's honeymoon's now in earnest, though different groups still press their demands. Now that almost all nine prefects resigned (prefects are like governors, but presidentially appointed), each of the nine departments are insisting that they, not the president, choose their successors. This coincides w/ the general push towards more regional autonomy, especially in Santa Cruz, Beni, Tarija, Cochabamba, and Sucre.

Also, there was a bit of a scuffle in parliament today. A group of campesinos (farmers) from the Chapare presented official complaints that they'd been forced, by physical threats, to block roads during last weeks' protests. They accused members of Evo's MAS, and presented photograph evidence of campesions beaten by MAS dirigentes. An agitated Filemon Escobar, a MAS congressman, challenged the accusers to a fist fight. After calming down, he accused the campesinos of being US agents. MAS (Movement Towards Socialism) is the political party that represents the Chapare's coca growers.

In other Chapare news: Land mines & booby traps set by cocaleros killed one soldier and wounded six others in the Chapare. The soldiers were clearing illegal coca fields.

Posted by Miguel at 06:28 PM

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