Cochabamabe Conflict FAQ
For anyone planning adventure travel in South America, especially Bolivia: A South American blogger living in Great Britain has posted this great Cochabamba Conflict FAQ, that gives all the backgroud you could ever want on the month-long conflict there. The blogger isn’t exactly a supporter of President Evo Morales, so there’s certain to be another widely different perspective on the whole thing out there, but this is nonetheless a very useful read if you’re heading to South America.
Spanish readers can also check out how the conflict has spread to La Paz and Santa Cruz here.
According to GlobalVoicesOnline: “Overwhelmingly, the Bolivian bloggers hoped that the situation would settle down and many lived the day firsthand. Gabriel Iriarte summarized a phone call he received that day that demonstrates the levels of high emotions that ran that afternoon.”
Today at 16:45, I received a call on my cell phone, I still have the number registered – 70741740. A male told me his name, last name Coronel. He said, “Gabo, let’s go the march for democracy and let’s go hit campesinos.” I don’t know how this guy had my cell phone number or how he knew my name. During the surprise, I didn’t know how to respond and I said that I didn’t know anyone by his name, then I hung up. I suppose he confused with another Gabo, but that’s not the point. Cars drove up and down the North part of the city with speakers calling people to join the march. That’s where the entire debacle started that left close to 100 injured and 2 dead. The prefect is a shameless manipulator that does not care about sending civilians to expulse the famers from the city (they are residents of the department and have the right to protest in the capital).
Related Posts: Dispatch: Conflict in Cochabamba, Bolivia