On saturday, a combined operation by the bolivian military and police has led to the killing of at least 5 Aymaran peasants in Achacachi when the so-called "caravan of rescue", commanded by defense minister Calrlos Sanchez Berzaín, tried to run the blockades that were put up some days ago in the region of the plateau.

All this took place in the context of a national uproar caused by the plans of president of Bolivia, the "gringo" Sanchez de Lozada, to hand out the gas to the transnational companies.

The Aymaran farmers also were also demanding the fulfillment of 72 points agreed with the government during 2001. Furthermore they requested the release of a leader accused of murder for his participation in an act of community justice. Some leaders of the Pachakutik indigenious movement (MIP), who were in a hunger strike over the same issues, have returned to their communities to organize and to radicalize their ways of protest.

For their part, the town of Sorata is taken by the demonstrators, who have burned the local facilities of the government and the police station. A day earlier, on the the 19th of september, in the whole country 150,000 people went to the streets in response to the government plans.

The protests were called for by a new organizacion, the "Coordinator of the Gas", which consists of a diverse group of unions and social movements from all over Bolivia. Bolivia has the second largest gas reserves in latin america (after Venezuela), and is therefore a cherished prey for those who want to continue controlling and appropriating the natural resources of others.

Yesterday the gold and the silver of the Potosí plateau went, with miners dying in the excavations and the money traveling to the other end of the world. Today they want to go further and deeper.

From our place, we greet the Bolivian people, and especially our brothers and sisters of Indymedia La Paz, who yesterday had to cope with being arrested while they covered the protests and took part in them. Jallalla friends!