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