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The world is watching
Por translated by Zapata -
Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2003 at 5:55 PM
translated from http://argentina.indymedia.org/news/2003/10/141413.php
In the middle of a general strike, with La Paz taken over by soldiers, with confrontations on numerous places in the country and marches of workers and farmers towards the capital, today was another historic day for Bolivia. The seasoned companions of the Katari Information Group tell us that "holding a watch in El Alto, the locals haven't slept. Brave, hardened indigenous men, women and children. They prepare themselves for another day. It is a day of burials amidst tears and sorrow. Humble coffins carry the martyrs of the defense of the natural resources....
Our brave friends of Econoticias report that "From Cochabamba, in the center of Bolivia, another front has opened. There are skirmishes between civilian demonstrators and police in several places in the third most important city of the country. The blockades are expanding, the coca growers and indigenous peasants already have made their impact in Chapare and several other provinces. There are blocked roads, together with teargas and gunfire. In the east, in Santa Cruz, the wealthiest and economically most important region, there are popular mobilizations, still small but growing. From Yapacaní in the north, a march is on it's way, there are blockades. In Potosí, in the Southwest, everyone participates. The marches continue and grow in each town where there are indigenous farmers and workers, over the entire nation."
Indymedia El Alto, also from the heart of the revolt, tells us "we see that what begins with a local strike turns into a popular uprising... The slaughters of Ventilla, El Alto, La Paz and San Julian are a landmark in the struggle for an end to the neoliberal regime... Still few details are known about the massacre (and torture) that happened in the army barracks, against soldiers who refused to shoot people. There is talk of conscientious objectors and of 15 dead soldiers... "
From the barricades of Cochabamba, our friends of Indymedia report that "youths, students, locals and coca growers maintain barricades on the main roads of the city centre, interrupting traffic and paralyzing the economy. The tense calm is broken with explosions of bars of dynamite and fireworks that are thrown by the demonstrators to the police".
The government of Sanchez de Losada, lying as usual, struggles between stepping down and continuing the slaughter. Numerous reports speak of North American weapons arriving at the El Alto airport. According to our comrades from Bolpress, the the government still feels strong because it has received the support of Bush and "the message sent by the Secretary General of the O.A.S., Caesar Gaviria, in which the endorsement of President Sanchez de Lozada by the 34 member states is expressed". In this message, the states "condemn in unanimously the use of violence and force to change the constitutional order". Within these endorsements, there ws also a wrathful and ambiguos declaration of the Argentine Government.
In La Paz, there are reports that masked officers are arresting civilians. Among the prisoners is feminist Maria Galindo. She fears the government intends to arrest various prominent people to charge them with "sedition".
Governments do not realise that people in the whole world are watching, suffering and fighting side by side with our Bolivian brothers and sisters. In our country, after the big show of solidarity yesterday, new and massive outings of solidarity take place, in marches (2) and blockades of bridges. For tomorrow, Wednesday, a new and great demonstation of solidarity has been announced, at 16 hours., from Av. Belgrano and Entre Ríos to the Embassy of Bolivia (500 Av. Corrientes).