CIVIC GROUPS THREATEN WIDESPREAD DISOBEDIENCE

UNCLAS LA PAZ 003191 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL SUBJECT: CIVIC GROUPS THREATEN WIDESPREAD DISOBEDIENCE REF: A. LA PAZ 3131 B. LA PAZ 3132 C. LA PAZ 3155 SUMMARY ¶1. (U) Eight of Bolivia's nine civic committees and five of the country's prefects met in Cochabamba on November 27 to discuss measures to oppose the GOB's handling of the Constituent Assembly, land reform, and the proposed censuring of prefects. Police used tear gas to disperse protests organized by the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) and there were reports of looting but no injuries. At the end of their meeting, the civic committees issued the Cochabamba Declaration, which gives the national government seventy-two hours to reverse its decision and implement a two-thirds vote on all constitutional changes, suspend proposed legislation to censure the prefects, agree to discuss departmental autonomy, and disband the GOB created and MAS controlled parallel civic organizations. If the GOB does not meet these demands within seventy two hours, the committees say they will increase civil disobedience measures to expand the ongoing hunger strike and institute a twenty-four hour nationwide strike on December 1. End Summary. MAS TRIES TO DISRUPT COCHABAMBA MEETING ¶2. (U) On November 27, the civic committees from the departments of La Paz, Beni, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, Oruro, Santa Cruz, Tarija, and Pando along with the prefects of La Paz, Beni, Pando, Tarija, and Cochabamba met in the city of Cochabamba to discuss measures to oppose the GOB's handling of the Constituent Assembly, land reform, and the proposed censuring of prefects. MAS militants threatened civic group members and disrupted their meetings. Approximately 500 MAS supporters led by Cochabamba MAS leader Julio Salazar and MAS Senator Omar Fernandez succeeding in preventing the civic group leaders from meeting in one location. According to press report, MAS militants also tried to intimidate civic group supporters by targeting them with tomatoes, eggs, and water balloons, as well as chasing them through Cochabamba's streets. Leading daily newspaper La Razon reported that five reporters were assaulted as a result of confrontations between MAS militants and civic committee sympathizers. A cell phone shop was reportedly ransacked and looted. The police eventually were forced to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the groups, but no injuries were reported. ¶3. (U) At the end of their meeting, the eight civic committees voted unanimously to issue the Cochabamba Declaration, which demands that the GOB revoke the simple majority voting rule in the Constituent Assembly (CA) and that it suspend legislative projects on land reform and the censuring of departmental prefects (reftels). If the civic groups' demands are not met within seventy-two hours the declaration states that acts of civil disobedience will intensify, including a nationwide one day work stoppage to begin at midnight December 1 and a hunger strike by the entire civic movement starting December 4. The declaration also calls for the respect of the July referendum on departmental autonomy, denunciation of MAS militants who have harmed civic group sympathizers, and repudiation of the GOB's creation of parallel civic committees. COMMENT ¶5. (SBU) Comment: The Cochabamba Declaration and the actions by MAS militants demonstrate that tensions in Bolivia are running high. The positions of the MAS and the departmental civic committees are diametrically opposed, leaving neither side much room for compromise. President Morales was traveling outside of the country at the time the declaration was released and is expected to address the civic committees' demands upon his return November 28. This latest round of unrest may only have been a preview what is to come in the next few weeks. End Comment. GOLDBERG