COCHABAMBA: FIGHTING ERUPTS, TURNS DEADLY

UNCLAS LA PAZ 000084

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON PHUM BL
SUBJECT: COCHABAMBA: FIGHTING ERUPTS, TURNS DEADLY

REF: A. LA PAZ 83

B. LA PAZ 75

C. LA PAZ 54

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Summary
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1. (U) On January 11 at 4:15 local time, violent
confrontations between pro-GOB (mostly cocaleros) and
anti-GOB forces in Cochabamba, Bolivia's third largest
city, resulted in at least one death and over one
hundred injured. This followed earlier skirmishes.
The city had been paralyzed all day by a general
strike; all public and private services were closed,
and the city remained cut-off by road blockades
erected by MAS militants on January 8. Negotiations
between the GOB and Prefect Reyes broke down on
January 10, the GOB explained that a solution
to the conflict was close, while Reyes maintained a
hard line. Reyes claimed that Minister of Government
Quintana did not offer any solution (reftel A). On
the same day, pro-GOB militants (mostly cocaleros)
verbally and physically assaulted a group of
journalists who were marching in support of freedom
of expression. On January 11, Santa Cruz Prefect
Ruben Costas and his counterparts from La Paz, Tarija,
Beni and Pando met with Prefect Reyes in La Paz in
a show of solidarity. End Summary

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A City Under Siege
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2. (U) A general strike paralyzed Cochabamba all day
January 11; all public and private services were closed
and the city remained cut-off by road blockades erected
by MAS militants on January 8. Air transport was the only
reliable way in and out of Cochabamba.

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Skirmishes lead to Confrontation
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3. (U) Police forces prevented large-scale conflicts
on January 10, but there were still several politically
motivated assaults. Responding to pro-GOB militants'
attacks who thwarted their planned January 10 peace
rally (reftel B),civic committee supporters and members
of the Youth Union for Democracy took up baseball bats,
sticks, golf clubs and homemade shields and began marching
to "take back the city" from the Masistas. The two groups
were within one hundred yards of each other near the
Cochabamba soccer stadium, but police managed to keep
them apart. In the early evening, pro-GOB supporters beat
up an individual by the name of Luis Fernandez Sanchez.
His attackers claimed that he was carrying a knife and
chain. Fernandez argued he was beaten because of his
"camba" (eastern) accent. Also on January 10, Youth Union
for Democracy members assaulted a taxi driver who yelled
at them for blocking traffic.


4. (SBU) On January 11 at 4:15 PM local time, violent
confrontations between pro-GOB (mostly cocaleros) and
anti-GOB forces broke out in Cochabamba. As of midday
January 11, police sources had told Emboffs that
approximately 6,500 pro-GOB supporters and 1,500 anti-GOB
activists (Cochabamba civic committee supporters and a
members of the Youth Union for Democracy) were
preparing to confront each other. The police estimated
there were 300 people from Santa Cruz among the anti-GOB
forces. Despite Prefect Reyes' calls to his supporters
to act peacefully, sources tell Emboffs that some of his
supporters assaulted two or three pro-GOB "campesinos"
the morning of January 11 in the Plaza Cala Cala.
By 4:00 PM January 11, sources were telling Emboffs
that the number of anti-MAS forces had swelled to
several thousand, and many were agitating to instigate a
confrontation and take back the main square, which the MAS
activists had taken January 8. At 4:15 PM confrontations
between the pro- and anti-GOB groups erupted. Although
preliminary reports are unclear how the confrontations
started, most are stating that anti-GOB forces pushed
through the pro-GOB (campesino and cocalero) lines.
At 5:00 PM state-TV station ATB reported Nicomedes
Gutierez, a forty -year old cocalero, had died from a
bullet wound. No information was immediately available
regarding who shot Mr. Gutierez. At 5:30 PM, news outlets
reported that the injured numbered more than one-hundred
from both sides. There were also reports of four other
deaths. As of 6:00 PM, the media that the Army's seventh
division, based in Cochabamba, had been called in to
restore order. The situation seems to be quieting down.

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Negotiations Break Down
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5. (U) On January 10, negotiations between the GOB and
Prefect Reyes broke down; the GOB explained that a solution
to the conflict was close, while Reyes maintained a hard
line. Minister of Government Juan Ramon Quintana met with
pro-GOB protesters in the morning and with Manfred Reyes
later in the day. Reyes was forced to leave his meeting
with Minister Quintana because a group of cocaleros marched
on their location. Quintana announced after the
dissolution of his meeting with Reyes that a solution might
be near. Quintana stated, "We have listened to the sides,
their petitions, and their suggestions. We now ... have a
map from which we can navigate the task of negotiating."
Later Reyes contradicted Quintana,s more upbeat
assessment by stating that he would not resign his
position or become "a traitor to Cochabambinos." Reyes
claimed that Quintana did not offer any solution (reftel A).

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Journalists Attacked Again
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6. (SBU) Pro-GOB militants (mostly cocaleros) verbally and
physically assaulted a group of journalists who were
marching in support of freedom of expression on January 10.
The journalists were also requesting that the GOB respect
their right to work and protect them from aggression.
The cocaleros shouted invectives, calling the journalists
liars, sell-outs and conspirators. In response, Carlos
Arevalo, the leader of the Cochabamba press federation,
announced that members would begin a hunger strike in
support of democracy and freedom of expression.

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Solidarity for Cochabamba
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7. (U) Santa Cruz Prefect Ruben Costas and his
counterparts from La Paz, Tarija, Beni and Pando met with
Prefect Reyes in La Paz on January 11 in a show of
solidarity. Civic committees from the five departments
also discussed a meeting on January 11 to demonstrate
their support for Cochabamba prefect and civic committee.
The Santa Cruz civic committee has called for a general
strike on January 16 to show their support for Cochabamba.

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Comment
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8. (U) Embassy La Paz is monitoring this rapidly evolving
situation closely. End Comment.
GOLDBERG