Indigenous Delay March as Police Strike Grips Bolivia By Sara Shahriari June 26, 2012
RSS <http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/rssfeeds> [image: Carmelo Sandoval (holding flag)] Sara Shahriari Carmelo Sandoval (holding flag) and a group of marchers from an indigenous territory in the Bolivian state of Beni during the National Park and Indigenous Territory Isiboro Secure (TIPNIS) march toward the capital city in June 2012. Indigenous marchers from Bolivia’s National Park and Indigenous Territory Isiboro Secure (TIPNIS) delayed their arrival in the government center of La Paz as sectors of the country’s police force enter the sixth day of a strike for pay raises. The second march against a government-backed road through the TIPNIS has covered more than 300 miles from the Amazon rainforest to the Andean nation’s high western plateau. On June 24, Bolivian President Evo Morales accused conservative forces of infiltrating the police strike and attempting to prepare a coup.* The Morales administration has also said anti-government groups back the TIPNIS march and plan to destabilize the government, claims both police protestors and TIPNIS march leaders vigorously deny.* The first march, which ended eight months ago, had a straightforward mission: Obtain a commitment from the government that the road will not be built through the center of the TIPNIS, and protest the government’s failure to carry out a prior consultation with residents of the indigenous territory before beginning the project, as required under the country’s constitution. The Morales administration was not quick to yield, saying the road is a crucial link between eastern and western Bolivia. The government eventually signed a law banning the road, but the political winds quickly changed when a pro-road march arrived in La Paz, and a new law again opened the possibility of constructing the highway by requiring a consultation within the TIPNIS. “Perhaps it is difficult for us here to understand who is right. The best thing is that those who live there (TIPNIS) decide what to do through the Law of Consultation,” Morales said in February, according to La Paz-based daily Pagina Siete<http://www.paginasiete.bo/2012-02-10/Nacional/NoticiaPrincipal/presitipnis.aspx>. “Those who reject the consultation reject the constitution.” The second march occurs in a significantly different context from the first. The Morales administration has since terminated the construction contract for the road with Brazilian company OAS, claiming the company was not on schedule, and signed agreements with some indigenous sectors that participated in the first march, affecting the unity of lowland indigenous organization and march organizer CIDOB. The government also planned for the consultation to take place in the coming weeks. The result is a more complex conflict that has not captured popular attention on the level of the first march. Despite those challenges Fernando Vargas, leader from the TIPNIS, says the marchers’ goal is clear: Overturn law 222, which requires a consultation process, and reach a lasting agreement with the government banning the road’s progress through the heart of the park. He points out that according to the constitution, consultations must be prior and in good faith. Marchers say those requirements cannot be met today, as portions of the highway are already being built and the Bolivian government recently entered the TIPNIS to give supplies such as motors and solar panels to different communities. Vargas, who has played a key role in both marches, says the last year has been exhausting, but he remains committed to preventing the road from crossing the park. “One thing is getting tired of denigration by politicians, and what that does to a person’s dignity and his family, but it’s another thing to fight for the good of the group. And believe me I am not tired of that,” Vargas said. “My people are there, my brothers are there, and because of that I don’t feel tired when it comes to defending my rights and the rights of my people.” The march claimed two lives last week and left a third person paralyzed in critical condition after a car carrying protestors from the TIPNIS overturned in a mountainous region. The procession, which has grown steadily over the weeks from just a few hundred people to more than 1,000, is currently camped outside La Paz waiting for the police strike to resolve. The marchers are struggling to keep warm in temperatures that dip below freezing at night. *Related Articles: * Indigenous v. Indigenous: Bolivia’s Government Is Pitting One Community Against Another<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/06/21/indigenous-v-indigenous-bolivias-government-is-pitting-one-community-against-another-119090> Second TIPNIS March as Important as First, Despite Lack of Attention<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/06/06/second-tipnis-march-as-important-as-first-despite-lack-of-attention-116482> Bolivia TIPNIS Road Conflict Reignites<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/03/30/bolivia-tipnis-road-conflict-reignites-105563> Tensions Between Bolivian Government and Indigenous Groups Deepen<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/12/13/tensions-between-bolivian-government-and-indigenous-groups-deepen-67414> Bolivia TIPNIS Road Conflict Reignites<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/03/30/bolivia-tipnis-road-conflict-reignites-105563> Bolivia’s TIPNIS Indigenous Marchers Successful<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/10/29/bolivia%E2%80%99s-tipnis-indigenous-marchers-successful-60363> President Moves to Reroute TIPNIS Road<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/10/21/bolivia-president-moves-to-reroute-tipnis-road-59599> Bolivian Police Tear Gas Indigenous Marchers<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/09/27/bolivian-police-tear-gas-indigenous-marchers-55671> Police Block Indigenous March as Communities Clash Over Road<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/09/23/bolivian-police-block-indigenous-march-as-communities-clash-over-road-55384> *More Information in English* Bolivia Diary <http://boliviadiary.wordpress.com/> NACLA<http://nacla.org/blog/2012/3/23/bolivia-tipnis-communities-plan-national-march-and-resistance-government-consulta> *More Information in Spanish* Fundacion Tierra <http://www.ftierra.org/ft/> Read more: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/06/26/indigenous-delay-march-as-police-strike-grips-bolivia-120660 http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/06/26/indigenous-delay-march-as-police-strike-grips-bolivia-120660#ixzz1ywmSpQzj TIPNIS Indigenous March announced to arrive La Paz city on Wednesday Posted by Bolivian Thoughts <http://bolivianthoughts.com/author/xxxyyy34/> ⋅June 26, 2012 ⋅ Leave a Comment<http://bolivianthoughts.com/2012/06/26/tipnis-indigenous-march-announced-to-arrive-la-paz-city-on-wednesday/#respond> *Filed Under* bad politics <http://bolivianthoughts.com/tag/bad-politics/>, CIDOB <http://bolivianthoughts.com/tag/cidob/>, CONAMAQ<http://bolivianthoughts.com/tag/conamaq/>, democracy in peril <http://bolivianthoughts.com/tag/democracy-in-peril/>, indigenous rights <http://bolivianthoughts.com/tag/indigenous-rights/>, National Parks<http://bolivianthoughts.com/tag/national-parks/> The brave protest-walk composed of TIPNIS, CIDOB, CONAMAQ and other Bolivians, is closer to their goal. They wisely decided not to enter La Paz city earlier than Wednesday. Current government’s lack of negotiation skills has caused Bolivia great distress with the police mutiny. The marchers do not want to be involved around that issue. ANF reports in El Deber: The 9th March of indigenous territory and Isiboro Secure National Park (TIPNIS) will not enter this Tuesday to the city of La Paz, on the contrary, they invited the President Evo Morales to go down to the Urujara road site control to install dialog, otherwise, they will resume their trek to the La Paz city on Wednesday. That was the determination of the leadership of the 9th March that arises as a result of the alleged “TIPNIS Plan” denounced by Vice President Álvaro García Linera and that would be an alliance between Indigenous people and police to destabilize the Government. “Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will not leave because we are inviting the President to come down to Urujara so do not confuse and for once get out of the mind that we have a TIPNIS Plan, I think that Tipnis Plan does have the Government itself ready”, announced the Chairman of sub-central Tipnis, Fernando Vargas to the ANF. That line stated that if the President does not present at Urujara, on Wednesday, at 8:00 in the morning, they resume their way to the city of La Paz, where they plan not to enter the Murillo square, because that place is cornered by the policemen who are mutineers since last Thursday. “They are two different things, the indigenous March has its own platform, now that there is a problem of the policemen, the Government to solve it, or cannot be the same one theme with the other, therefore, precisely for this reason, to deny his ministers are saying that there is a partnership, it is that we are not going to tomorrow (Tuesday)”, explained the official. He specified that the TIPNIS march, will be installed once inside of the city of La Paz, in plaza San Francisco, where they hope to have a dialogue with the Government to resolve the demands of its platform. The indigenous 9th March departed Monday from the town of Pongo at 9:00 and averaging 17:00 arrived in the vicinity of Urujara road control site. The column of more than a thousand members was the penultimate stage halfway through the most difficult stretch, the summit [highest point] located more than 4,000 meters above sea level. Several marchers had to be evacuated in vehicles because suffered the inclemencies of the weather and the effects of the height, mainly women and children. Indigenous people showed spirit in their journey, and also highlighted black wreaths in the different flags of indigenous organizations, that resemble the two marchers that died in a traffic accident: Silvia Cunay and Alejandro Cayuba. Also, a group of citizens provided solidarity with the marchers providing food and coca tea. When the night came, the indigenous people installed camp meters from the Los Yungas of La Paz road control site and opted to combat low temperatures in the area with fire pit. According to forecasts, temperatures below freezing may register during the early morning hours. The Assembly of La Paz citizens decided to perform a human cord, around the indigenous people to avoid hindering and eventually attempts to discourage their progress, reported the President of the Federation of neighborhoods of La Paz, Arturo Quispe, that protection is planned for when the March arrives in the city of La Paz. ANF http://www.eldeber.com.bo/marcha-indigena-anuncia-ingreso-a-la-urbe-pacena-el-miercoles-/120625231005 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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