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Bolivian government reiterates
Cochabamba governor’s responsibility
COCHABAMBA, January 18.— The Bolivian government
today accused Cochabamba governor Manfred Reyes of
being responsible for the conflict unleashed in this
region that has left two people dead and more than
200 wounded, reported PL.
In
statements to state television channel Canal 7,
presidential spokesperson Alex Contreras listed the
three critical errors the executive believes that
Reyes has committed, the first of which is the
governor’s intention to call a new referendum on the
subject of autonomy, ignoring the negative response
demonstrated by the majority of Cochabamba residents
in a previous vote.
The
second reason is his public support for the
independence of Santa Cruz, Beni, Tarija and Pando
and the third related to his departure from the
region when his presence was most needed as a result
of last week’s clashes, presumably incited by allied
groups, he added.
Contreras also stated that President Evo Morales met
the previous day with representatives from the
social movements who are demanding the governor’s
resignation and that a popular council had decided
to create a parallel authority.
According to the spokesperson, a truce has been
called as well as a state of emergency among the
popular organizations who have begun to return to
their communities, in order to see whether this will
produce a change in the behaviour of the authority,
although they are not abandoning their intention to
remove the governor.
Meanwhile, the city of El Alto has called a 24-hour
strike for next Monday as a means to pressure La Paz
governor José Luis Paredes to resign from his post.
Translated by Granma
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