File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/97-01-21.060, message 13


Date: Sun, 19 Jan 97 23:19:52    
From: PO <global-AT-uk.pi.net>
Subject: M-I: CHRISTMAS MASSACRE IN BOLIVIA


CHRISTMAS MASSACRE IN BOLIVIA

Summary of a report from Poder Obrero Bolivia. 

On 19 and 20 December the Bolivian government made the "Christmas Massacre". 
Around 100 people were wounded and nine were killed in Amayapampa, 
Capasirca,  Pucro, Uncía, Siglo XX and Llallagua, all located in Province 
Bustillos (north of Potosi) .
This was the response of president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada to the struggle 
of the workers and peasants that live around the mines of gold of Amayapampa 
and Capasirca which are now under the property of the Canadian  company Da 
Capo Resources Ltd. The miners demanded no sacks and a living minimum wage. 
The peasants demanded that this company should pay taxes and not destroy the 
ecology. 
In that confrontations the workers and peasants were able to disarm 
policemen and soldiers and to defend themselves.  On 19 December several 
workers and peasants died and also the Colonel Eddy Rivas, chief of the 
Special Security Group. On the 20, when the army repressed Llallagua, the 
capital city of the province, many workers and students were injured or 
killed but also the army have more than 30 casualties. 
The massacre was led by Franklin Anaya, minister of government, and Willy 
Arriaza, chief of the National Police. It happened in the same province 
which three decades ago suffered the "San Juan massacre" when the military 
dictatorship killed miners in strike. Bustillos is a mining province which 
was the centre of the most important miners union (like Siglo XX and Catavi) 
between 1940 and 1990. The peasants of that province, the population of 
Llalagua and the students of the Siglo XX university actively supported the 
miners. 
The union bureaucracy and the government made a deal in which the miners and 
the population had to return the arms to the army and the Canadian company 
should pay some taxes to the development of the area. Now the workers could 
suffer the consequences of a selective repressive vengeance. 
On 9 January around 5,000 co-operative miners decided to occupy the mine 
Pailaviri in the famous Potosi’s Rich Mountain. After more than one week of 
confrontations the miners obtained a victory. The government decided to give 
to them properties from the former state mining company (COMIBOL) like t
he canteen, the device, etc. 
The COB will held a national aggregate this Thursday 24 in which it will be discuss the organisation of a campaign of street demonstrations. Every year February is a significant month because the government and the COB (Bolivian Trade Union Congress) usually discuss the national wage’s increase. S
ince 1994 every year around March the COB declared an indefinite general strike. 
The government is making a propaganda war against the left whit the aim of preparing a serious repression.
We are working in Bolivia for a national claim which have to fight for a minimum living wage and the nationalisation of all the privatise companies and mines. The workers and peasants need to develop rank and file committees and self-defence organisations. We are for a general strike organise by a
 national strike committee composed by delegates elected and recallable by rank and file assemblies.

  



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