Juanson World

I've been trying to catch up on almost two weeks of Latin American news and views. Ostensibly, the two major stories are Bolivia and the OAS summit. Rather than to try to recap these big stories, I am going to post an excerpt from an email an American friend wrote from La Paz:

Firstly, please take the images and messages that you may be receiving from cnn with many grains of salt. There have been no gunshots, and the loud booms that they love to capture are really from the tear gas they are using to disperse crowds. "Violence" has been limited thus far to a three block radius in the center of La Paz, and to places where marchistas clash either with those trying to cross blockaded areas or with other marchistas (this has been happening more in Santa Cruz than here).

La Paz is being described as "under seige." There are reports that there is no bread or meat, no gas, etc. Food is coming through from the rural areas to the south of La Paz, and any shortages are the result of pre-snow storm type shopping sprees rather than the result of food (at least the basics) not arriving. In addition, in the
central areas of El Alto, the markets are still full of fruits and vegetables (though in areas further out this may not be the case). The gas stations no longer have gasoline, that is true, but at the plant in El Alto where reserves of gasoline are kept (temporarily controlled by those blockading in El Alto) at night they are selling gasoline at twice the price, so for those that can pay, there is a way to get it.

This explains why, though technically gas ran out on Monday, there is still some transportation available throughout La Paz, only at elevated prices. All of this is important for several reasons....1) the situation is angering the middle classes of La Paz as Altenos are controlling to a certain extent what is and is not reaching them. This makes the cries for military intervention only that much louder and that much more forceful. 2) People in La Paz keep asking, how much longer can those in El Alto stand this....without food, without gasoline, without gas for their stoves?

The reality of the situation, however, is that a)the Altenos can withstand much much more than people in La Paz and b) the basics are still available, if slightly difficult to obtain. Though the campesinos and Altenos are getting tired, and some are wanting to return home, if necessity dictates I believe they could withstand the situation a while longer.

All of the above is only one small part of what is happening, both in terms of the country as a whole and in terms of the aspects of the struggle here in La Paz and El Alto. Almost every city in the country is blockaded (this is not as difficult as it sounds as there are usually only two or three highways coming out of each city). The hydrocarbons issue has taken center stage but it isn't really just about hydrocarbons. You have campesinos who truly want a different order, a different kind of state, but have not elaborated exactly what kind of state they want....just not this one. The president resigned, the Congress has not yet accepted his resignation, the social movements are not happy with any of the options for who might temporarily step into the presidency until there is enough calm to hold elections (the options are the head of the Senate, the head of the equivalent of a house of reps, or the head of the judiciary). No one wants to stain their hands with blood by being the one to call in the military. But most see that (a short stint of martial law, for instance....or whatever military involvement would be necessary in order to bring an end to the veritable chaos that is reigning here) as the only option, because there is no charismatic leader that might unite, or at least pacify, the country right now.

Since my friend wrote this, a new president has been installed (New York Times), as Eduardo Rodriguez steps forward with the unenviable task of leading a polarized, divisive Bolivia. I wish him luck.