BY MIRIAM AMANCAY COLQUE
Bartolina Sisa Resistance
ON November 4th, violent repression in Bolivia continued with more arrests in the town of Mairana, Santa Cruz. Repressive forces arbitrarily and illegally arrested innocent citizens, forcibly removing them from their homes.
The indigenous and popular movement began blockades on October 14th, in repudiation at the anti-popular actions of President Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca’s government.
Former socialist President Evo Morales is on hunger strike along with several of his comrades. He has requested to momentarily pause the blockades, hold a dialogue with the government and get support from international organisations.
This was for humanitarian reasons and to look after the more than 200 political prisoners, more than 100 wounded and to bury the 4 victims.
The blocked roads that lasted 23 days were lifted momentarily for 72 hours, with permanent vigils installed, so the government can bring a solution to the economic crisis and free all political prisoners.
On November 1st, in the town of Parotani, Cochabamba, the government carried out a brutal repression by land and air that was resisted by the indigenous people for more than nine hours.
Repressive forces also raided and shot at homes, leaving people with gunshot wounds.
Local community members also mentioned that the police prevented them from verifying possible deaths and missing persons in Parotani.
More than 70 detainees were transferred to the capital La Paz without adequate clothing, without food or water and on the way they were brutally subjected to torture.
Once in La Paz, the police banned family members, lawyers and MPs from visiting the political prisoners who have been mistreated, humiliated, threatened and paraded as common criminals. They were deprived of essential clothing, blankets and food.
The majority of them belong to indigenous communities whose human rights have been violated by not allowing them legal access.
They have already been charged, illegally, without due process, for terrorism, armed uprising and others.
On 17th September, Bolivia had one of the largest mobilisations ever seen in its history with the ‘March to Save the Country’ led by the ‘Unity Pact’ and ‘Estado Mayor del Pueblo’, where more than three million marchers joined in.
Chanting: ‘The people united will never be defeated,’ the indigenous and popular movement have continued the blockades against the anti-popular actions of Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca’s government, despite the cowardly police, military, paramilitary commanded by DEA agents and snipers who spill the blood of Bolivian people.
In unison they have asked the government to pay attention to their petition, in the face of the growing institutional crisis, the acute economic, social, political, judicial and moral crisis that the country is experiencing.
However, the government ignored the people’s petition and there was never an option for a sincere dialogue, demonstrating once again its inability to solve the problems.
On September 30th, the ‘Estado Mayor del Pueblo’ and the ‘Unity Pact’ decided to start a nationwide blockade.
The response of the government was to declare open war on the indigenous and popular movement, mobilising more than 10,000 police and military troops, turning the country into a lawless state without the minimum constitutional guarantees.
As in colonial times, the level of racism of this regime was clear.
They stigmatised the indigenous people as if they are not capable to reason, to decide for themselves or make use of their constitutional right to protest, underestimating their capacity to organise, fight and resist.
That is why they pointed their weapons of war at them without mercy.
Luis Arces’ government has become the biggest human rights violator because it does not comply with the minimum guarantees, apart from being corrupt.
And as in dictatorships, all the allies who support this bloody regime have asked for the militarisation of the country and the intervention of the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
Evo Morales is on hunger strike demanding a momentarily pause of the blockades, a dialogue and the support of international organisations.
But the grassroots do not accept any temporal pause indicating that they will not kneel before this bloodthirsty government and they will remain on the blockades.
The vast majority of the 55% that Luis Arce boasts so much about, are right now mobilised in the blockades or being persecuted or imprisoned.
These are the same people that brought Luis Arce to power but in four years the government has turned into a corrupt, plundering, mercenary state providing protection for drug trafficking and doing little for citizen security.
The reality is that according to surveys, the population disapproves of Arce’s government by more than 80%.
And while the Bolivian people face a deep economic crisis, President Arce’s sons have now turned into oligarchs, multi-millionaires, enjoying luxurious holidays abroad.
The International American Commission on Human Rights have recommended that the Arce government dismantle the RJK, UJC paramilitary forces.
Instead it did the opposite, rearticulating, reorganising and financing these paramilitary groups that are now the shock troops of the regime.
As in the fascist and racist coup of November 2019, the government published private addresses of prominent MAS-IPSP militants and other social organisations to attack their homes, a macabre plan endorsed by the Ministry of Government.
These paramilitaries already set fire to the Tropical Federation headquarters a few weeks ago.
This government has opened the doors to fascism, racism like in dictatorships.
The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo were right when they told him: ‘Arce, you are a traitor.’
The La Paz Federation of Peasant Workers ‘Tupak Katari’ has decided to declare an indefinite strike and calls on the rest of the Bolivian people to join the indefinite blockade until this corrupt and incapable government resigns.
The indigenous peoples and popular movement remain strong and resolute and said to the government: ‘Our new history begins and we will continue in the struggle until we win!
‘We announce to the international community, human rights organisations that Luis Arce’s government violates the fundamental rights of Bolivian people, particularly of indigenous peoples.
‘We demand the immediate freedom of all political prisoners! No to fascism!
‘Solidarity with Bolivian people in struggle!
‘London, November 2024.’
