Bolivian leader defiant as deadly protests rage

http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/14/content_271738.htm

The unrest was initially sparked by plans to export natural gas to the United States that angered many Bolivians who feared the benefits would not reach the broad population.

The planned export route, via Chile, also raised tension because of an age-old dispute between the two neighbors over Bolivian access to the Pacific.

The protests gained momentum from long-standing resentment at Sanchez de Lozada's free-market economic policies and failure to raise living standards in one of the Western hemisphere's most impoverished nations.

Thousands of coca farmers angry at a U.S.-backed drive to eradicate illegal plantations of their crop, the raw material used to make cocaine, joined striking workers with protests of their own.

<snip>

Police and troops formed rings around the presidential palace downtown, blocking the advance of striking workers in traditional dress waving the rainbow flags of the ancient Inca empire and banging drums to demand Sanchez de Lozada quit.


A few additional details at
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/14/international/americas/14BOLI.html

Rapid economic growth in Chile during the past two decades has increased Bolivians' resentment. Mr. Sánchez de Lozada, a 73-year-old millionaire businessman, is seen as being overly cozy with Chilean business interests.

mercenaries are we sending to help this pResident Sanchez de Lozada?

There's a really dramatic photo gallery linked from the Yahoo story at:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20031014/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/bolivia_gas_protests&e=1

It's a general strike directed against the Bolivian government's plan to export natural gas to the US & Mexico through Chile. Bolivia has a long-standing dispute with Chile, as Bolivia lost its only seaport to Chole early in the last century. The general strike has tenets of nationalism (Bolivian self-direction) but is also left in nature.

The huelga general has been going on for almost two weeks. The peasants have no or few firearms and although the action is not completely non-violent, the methods used are mass demonstrations, barricades, rocks, and large pointed objects. One photo shows a demonstrator holding up police shell casings to tell the observer that firearms have started to be used (yesterday and today) vs, barricades and rocks.

Demonstrators are calling for nationalization of the natural gas industry, and indigenous leadership. Bolivia is a land-locked nation with a high poverty rate. The indigenous (Quechua & Aymara) population is basically lorded over by a small ruling class of Castellano (Spanish) descent.

There is a checkerboard rainbow flag in some of the pictures that is a symbol of indigenous aspirations. The bowler hats, sweaters and other wooly clothes are traditional dress that is appropriate for the intense sunlight and chilly temperatures of LaPaz, which is at an altitude of 10,000 feet-plus.

These aren't a bunch of pictures of prosperous sandal-clad hippies playing at '1968' - - - this is the real thing.

Look at the pictures - they are very interesting.

Crank up Tracy Chapman's 'Talkin' 'bout a revolution - - - -

The prosperous sandal-clad hippies hit a note

http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/91415/The_Doors/Break_On_Through_(to_The_Other_Side)/

You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day
Tried to run
Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side, yeah

We chased our pleasures here
Dug our treasures there
But can you still recall
The time we cried
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side

Yeah!
C'mon, yeah

Everybody loves my baby
Everybody loves my baby
She get
She get
She get
She get high

I found an island in your arms
Country in your eyes
Arms that chain us
Eyes that lie
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through, oww!
Oh, yeah!

Made the scene
Week to week
Day to day
Hour to hour
The gate is straight
Deep and wide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through
Break on through
Break on through
Break on through
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah