BOLIVIA: No Solution in Sight to Unrest in Cochabamba

By Franz Chávez Reprint | | Print |

Franz Chávez

LA PAZ, Jan 10 2007 (IPS) - The streets and highways of Cochabamba, Bolivia’s third largest city, remained blocked Wednesday on the third day of protests by pro-government demonstrators demanding the resignation of Governor Manfred Reyes Villa because of his position in favour of autonomy for the region.

Clashes between protesters and police have left 22 people injured, including journalists, while a central city square in Cochabamba, in the Andean foothills 400 km southeast of La Paz, looks like a battleground, with the burned-out shells of cars, the fog of tear gas, and the charred wooden doors of the provincial capitol, to which the protesters set fire on Monday.

The demonstrators are angry at Governor Reyes Villa for his public statements expressing an interest in regional autonomy, which was rejected by voters in Cochabamba in a nationwide referendum held in July.

The crackdown on the protests prompted Government Minister Alicia Muñoz, whose ministry oversees law enforcement, to sack the provincial police chief, Wilge Obleas, just two hours after he assumed the post. President Evo Morales, however, overturned the decision and reinstated Obleas.

Muñoz dismissed the police chief due to the actions of the anti-riot police, who drove back demonstrators when they set fire to the door of the provincial capitol and attempted to occupy the building, forcing the governor to flee, disguised in a police uniform.

In late December, Reyes Villa, a retired army captain, spoke out in favour of provincial autonomy. His remarks were interpreted as “secessionist,” although he later clarified that he supported “economic,” not territorial, independence.

He then urged the people of the province of Cochabamba to back his proposal to call a new provincial referendum on autonomy.

In the first referendum, held on Jul. 2, the central province of Cochabamba, along with four western highland provinces – La Paz, Oruro, Potosí and Chuquisaca – voted against greater independence from the central government, while four provinces in the relatively prosperous eastern lowlands – Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija – voted in favour.

Independent political scientist María Teresa Zegada told IPS that the conflict was likely to get worse, due to Reyes Villa’s continuing support for an autonomy referendum and the demonstrators’ refusal to call off their protests unless he resigns.

The Morales administration designated the deputy minister for decentralisation, Fabián Yaksic, as government spokesman in talks between the sectors in conflict, aimed at preventing further violence, although no progress has been made towards dialogue.

Zegada warned of possible clashes between demonstrators demanding the governor’s resignation and the conservative civic committee that called a march for peace Wednesday.

The conflict can be summed up as “a power dispute, and there is no possibility of a dialogue,” said Zegada.

She pointed out that Reyes Villa has presidential aspirations and has made strong public investments in rural areas, which have helped make him highly popular.

But Cochabamba is also the stronghold of Morales, who took office in January 2006 as the country’s first indigenous president. In addition, he is the leader of six federations of coca growers in the central region of Chapare. The “cocaleros” are the main support base of the governing Movement Towards Socialism (MAS).

The head of the Cochabamba labour federation Central Obrera Departamental (COD), Víctor Lima, told IPS that the demonstrations would continue until the governor steps down, and said members of COD and other labour organisations have mounted a vigil in the streets around the seat of provincial government.