Bolivia: the confrontations mark the second day of partial strike of the opposition due to the controversial "mother law"

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BBC News World

9 minutes

Bolivia had on Tuesday a second day of confrontations in the streets due to the strike called by organizations of the opposition to President Luis Arce before the controversial “mother law.”

After the protests ended Monday with more than a one hundred detaineesOn Tuesday, the presence of protesters in the streets of several cities in the country was less.

However, they happened again confrontations in marches and blockades between opponents, sympathizers of the ruling party and the police.

Image source, Getty Images

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In the confrontations, firecrackers were thrown.

The organizers of the strike reject the so-called National Strategy Against the Legitimization of Illicit Profits and the Financing of Terrorism, called “mother law”.

They consider that the ruling party seeks to “impose” an “economic and financial totalitarianism” against the Bolivian people, giving the government discretionary powers.

“It is a strike without arguments,” said Bolivian Communications Deputy Minister Gabriela Alcón, adding that all the demands are being addressed by the government.

Image source, EPA

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In Cochabamba, the second day of protests had the participation of a few dozen people and a column of transport trucks.

Some sectors that reject the law, such as transporters and merchants, did not join the work stoppage called “indefinitely.”

The most numerous protests and blockades were seen in the regions of Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, La Paz, Tarija, Potosí, Oruro and Beni.

Image source, Reuters

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Some supporters of the president also took to the streets on Monday, marking the one-year term of Arce.

To counteract the strike, the president’s government Arce -who on monday he served one year in power– deployed the police and warned that there will be sanctions for health workers who suspend their work amid the fourth wave of the pandemic in the country.

Bolivian Vice Minister of the Interior Regime, Nelson Cox, reported that on Monday there were 125 detainees throughout the country.

Image source, EPA

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The government has deployed the police to avoid the blockades.

Since the civic strike on October 11 and the mobilizations on October 21, union leaders had already warned by taking new measures of force if the government did not listen to them or completely repealed the “mother law”, which was approved in August.

“The Police do nothing when the masistas [simpatizantes del gobierno] they block, but when the true people are in the streets in a brutal way they have grabbed and gassed us, “said a protester in Cochabamba at Tuesday’s protest.

Image source, EPA

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In Santa Cruz, supporters of the ruling party and opponents clashed with violence.

Pro-government sectors have rejected this measure that they consider seeks to “destabilize” the government and warned that they will do the same to defend “democracy” and the Arce government.

According to Vice Minister Cox, several detainees were in possession of sharp weapons and tear gas.

“We regret that there were blocking points with belligerent attitudes, there is a level of violence in people who have been in blocking points,” Cox said.