GOVERNMENT REJECTS DIALOGUE- BLOCKADES SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT MIDNIGHT April 24, 2001 Prepared by the Andean Information Network POLICE CONTINUE TO GAS MARCHERS-April 23 At approximately 4 p.m. police again fired tear gas at marchers Yesterday at around 5:30 police began shooting tear gas into and around the San Andres University. There were at least a thousand La Paz Yungas coca growers, and students. March leaders were holding a meeting inside. The police attempted to break up the meeting. There were reports of several wounded, but we have been unable to confirm this information. The intervention ended around 8 p.m. last night. The great majority of the Cochabamba and Chapare marchers have gone home to plan blockades. MEMBERS OF THE PRESS MISTREATED Different members of the press denounce abuse by government forces and efforts to impede their coverage of the conflict. Yesterday police kicked a reporter from the SITEL network and destroyed his video camera. A member of the Police Special Security Group (GES) sprayed pepper spray or a similar irritant directly into a reporter with La Prensa, Arturo Choque's face. MARCH LEADERS REQUEST DIALOGUE- GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS REFUSE The Comunal (the organizations leading the march) called for dialogue last night and stated that they would wait for government officials at 9:00 am today (April 24) to meet. They have given the government has until midnight tonight to begin to negotiate. If nothing happens blockades will begin at that time. Evo Morales said that the Chapare-Yungas blockades will then shift their focus to forcing Banzer to resign. Bolivian Minister of Information. Manfredo Kempff said that the government refuses to negotiate with Evo Morales, congressman and leader of the six Chapare coca growers’ federations, because coca eradication must go on and the government will continue to enforce anti-drug law 1008. Minister of Government, Guillermo Fortun, told the press that security forces would not permit blockades. President Banzer stated to the press today in Washington, D.C. that he had not been elected by the coca growers, and as result he will not negotiate with them. FACILITATING GROUP'S RESPONSE Human Rights Ombudsperson, Ana Maria Romero de Campero, criticized these statements, pointing out that it is the president's responsibility to address the needs of all Bolivians, because the constitution establishes the equality of all citizens. As a result, ignoring this sector will make the present conflict "even more dangerous." Her criteria is shared by different social sectors, especially because coca growers continue to express their desire for dialogue with government officials. The Catholic Church has expressed its intention to facilitate dialogue, and has asked coca growers to modify some of their demands, such as the revocation of Law 1008 and the return of privatized state companies to public control, in an effort to "create an adequate climate" to bring government officials to the bargaining table. COORDINADORA AND COCA GROWERS ANNOUNCE BLOCKADES The Cochabamba Water Coordinator announced that road blockades in downtown Cochabamba and will begin at midnight tonight or early tomorrow morning based on their original list of demands. The Six Chapare Federations have also stated that they will begin to blockade at midnight. Some federation leaders say there will be sporadic blockades tomorrow and widespread blockades on Thursday. Evo Morales told the press that the Chapare blockades will put President Banzer’s resignation at the top of their list of demands. La Paz Yungas coca grower leaders have also called for blockades there tomorrow. It is unclear how widespread these blockades will be--scoca growers divide their support between Evo Morales, and Felipe Quispe Huanca, 'Mallku.' Mallku supporters there have negotiated with the government. TWO REPORTED DEAD AS A RESULT OF INDISCRIMINANT TEAR GAS USE Protests continued today in La Paz. Yungas coca growers, transportation workers, university students, small-scale merchants and others continued to march in downtown La Paz today. Police used large quantities of tear gas to repress the marches. Daniel Vela Cuba, a 52 year-old driver died around 1 p.m. in El Alto, presumably as the result of head trauma from impact of a tear gas canister . An autopsy report will confirm the cause of death tomorrow. In La Paz, Antonio Mamani Viuda de Apaza (89 years old) died after police fired tear gas in the patio of the nursing home where she lived. At this time there is no medical report to confirm the cause of her death. Nursing home residents have threatened to put up roadblocks tomorrow. At least three other people sustained contusions. MALLKU RE-ELECTED AS CAMPESINO CONFEDERATION LEADER Felipe Quispe Huanca was re-elected as the leader of the CSUTCB on April 21. He has started negotiating with the government and has stated that he will postpone blockades. Internal divisions persist within the confederation, though. Alejo Veliz, CSUTCB leader in Cochabamba has said he does not agree with Mallku and plans to have his sector begin blockades on May 1st. COB BREAKS OFF TALKS AND REQUESTS BANZER’S RESIGNATION The Bolivia national workers union, the COB, refused to dialogue with the government today as a result of the treatment the marchers received. At this time it is difficult to gauge what their role will be in the coming weeks. The COB has also requested Banzer's resignation. MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS THREATEN TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIAL CONFLICTS The "Popular Participation" decentralization program implemented in 1995 has made the 314 municipal governments in Bolivia for the administration of healthcare and education in their districts without providing adequate funding from the central government. As a result municipal officials have decided to ask Congress for sufficient funds to carry out these programs. If their demands are not met, municipal governments have threatened to take extreme measures. OTHER NEWS Transportation unions carried out a 24-hour national strike today. Driver blocked roads within and around Cochabamba, in the Chapare and in other regions. The government has granted the Yacuiba Civic Community's demand for 45% of the petroleum profits from the Tarija Department. The blockades there have ended and the military should be retreating from the region. For more information, please contact: paz@albatros.cnb.net or kledebur@albatros.cnb.net Read more on Bolivia at http://www.1worldcommunication.org Ravi Khanna, Director 1world communication P. O. Box 2476 Amherst, MA 01004 Phone: 413-323-7629 Cell: 413-530-9640 Fax: 413-323-9348 E-mail: oneworld@igc.org Web-site: http://www.1worldcommunication.org Signup to join 1world list. Get updates and participate in discussions. Send a blank e-mail to: 1worldcommunication-subscribe@topica.com -- **************** Yours in struggle, ****************