Bolivia News: Protests, Strikes, Blockage in Every City

The smashing increase in gasoline and diesel is the most unpopular measure ever taken by a government in the last 30 years. An 83% of increase is more than any right wing government has ever thought of imposing. Political turmoil is not rare in Bolivia, but this is the first time Evo is facing it this big. Let me present you with some of the headlines of TV and radio stations.

MARCHING MULTITUDES. They came down from El Alto, being applauded. In their walking path, they threw stones to the high way patrol office, they forced to close selling kiosks, they asked the vice president to resign, and they want the decree to be derogated. (UNITEL Television Network)
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- ALL THE COUNTRY IS MOBILIZED. In many cities the people went out to protest the increase of prices, expressing that they are mad at the president for his message last night. (PAT Television network)

• MOBILIZATION IN THE CITIES. The Federation of Neighbor Associations from the city of El Alto (FEJUVE El Alto) is going to downtown La Paz, while in the afternoon micro business owners will march. In Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and other cities, this is a day of protests against the gas smash. (UNO Television Network).

-MASSIVE MOBILIZATION. The Federation of Neighbor Associations went down marching to La Paz, they surrounded Murillo Square rejecting Decree 748, they forced bussinesses to close. (PAT Television Network)

• EL ALTO IS UNHAPPY, THEY CLOSE THE HIGHWAY FOR THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW, they burned wheels, threw stones to the Regional Worker's Center, the Federation of Neighbors and the former cityhall, besides the toll stand in the highway. (UNO Television)




• EVO TRAITOR, LINERA DICTATOR, is the slogan being yelled in the marches, hard, grave, this seems to be the hardest moment of President Evo Morales In Perez Velasco square, right downtown of La Paz city, a big quantity of people gathered after the marching of the conferderation of neighbors, being the most smashing march in the last six years.

The march was full of housewives protesting with their empty caceroles. "We want cooking oil, we want flour, we want sugar, we want rice" was the slogan of the marching women.

Testimonies of the marching women: "We are here because this is an abuse to our families, our pockets, we are here with empty oil cans because we have no oil to cook with, we have our rice bags empty"
"The march has fenced the government center because poor families are affected, transportation is charging ridiculous prices, because this government does not think of impoverished families, it has betrayed us. If the government does not derogate the decree, then it can leave" (Fides Radio Network).

• MINISTER SACHA LLORENTI REPEATS THE DISCOURSE OF RIGHT WING PRESIDENT GONI, he says the moblilized groups are very small (ERBOL Radio Network)

Only the state television and radio networks are not showing the riots in the streets. A comprehensive marketing campaign has started in all media with ads saying that the government is fighting against corruption and gas smuggling by increasing the prices of gasoline and diesel and calling the people to calm down because the government will provide food for everyone.

The state food stores have been the first ones to rise their prices in 20%, and they run out of products early this morning, making people angrier. Government officials said this is temporary and tomorrow they will have more products arriving from different parts of the country.

Picture credit: www.radiofides.com