Marzo 30, 2006
Repression?
Bolivia Indymedia is always on top of things with on-the-ground reporting and photographs of today's confrontation with police at the Cochabamba airport were published online within hours. There is no doubt that there were orders to clear the runways, but now the question is who gave these orders. The Democracy Center had an interesting exchange with Oscar Olivera who claimed, "Evo is tear gassing his brothers." As I mentioned earlier, this would be the first time that the new administration would be "haciendo cumplir la ley", as they had stated they would during the campaign. The word "repression" is all over the Indymedia site and mainstream Bolivian media.
What was especially interesting is the groups that are protesting side by side. In Santa Cruz, the Centro Obrero Departmental (labor union) arrived to the airport to support the LAB staff members, usually made up of many middle class pilots and other support staff. Rarely have we seen such unity among different groups who usually protest in accordance to their own interests and usually along class lines.
Posted by eduardo at Marzo 30, 2006 11:12 PM