Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Bolivian bloggers shed light on demonstrations

Global Voices Online looked at several posts by Bolivian bloggers discussing the country’s debate over nationalization. For instance, Willy Andres described some of the demands made by protestors in the city of Camiri against president Evo Morales:

“-Pressure the government into consolidating budgets and ensuring conditions so that the Management of the Exploration and Exploitation of YPFB and operate.
-Restore the closed and marginal fields of the country that did not have the investment necessary to operate”

Meanwhile, blogger Palabras Libres mentioned what he heard on a Bolivian radio broadcast from the protest area:

“A woman with tears in her eyes said, “we will not go backwards in the fight.” Camiri is located in the foothills of the mountains where the gas is plentiful. A representative of the Guaraní Peoples Assembly asked, “How could an indigenous government repress its own brothers like that?”

It looks grim in Bolivia with divisions between pro- and anti-Morales forces getting deeper. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the situation will improve anytime soon.


Links- Global Voices Online, BusinessWeek, Willy Andres, Palabras Libres

Image- Voice of America (Bolivian miner protesting earlier this month)


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