First modification:
One person died this Saturday in Bolivia in street clashes between official and opposition civilians, on the first day of a strike in the department of Santa Cruz to demand that the government advance a population census set for 2024 by one year.
The Bolivian department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s economic locomotive and governed by the opposition, was paralyzed this Saturday at the start of an indefinite protest to demand that the leftist government of President Luis Arce advance a population census set for 2024 by one year.
Santa Cruz, the most populous department in Bolivia, has access to economic resources and is assigned deputies in Congress based on a census from more than 10 years ago, but alleges that the data is outdated and that more correspond to it. The government indicates that there are no technical conditions for a census in 2023, but there are for 2024.
The departmental civic committee, a civil and business conglomerate, urges the government to decree a census next year, used as a basis in Bolivia for the distribution of seats in Congress and public economic resources according to the distribution of the population.
The city of Santa Cruz, with almost 2 million inhabitants and capital of the region of the same name, exhibited its empty streets and avenues, with crossroads blocked with stones, sticks and earth promontories. Although the center seemed calm, in some neighborhoods street clashes were reported between neighbors who support the protests and others who demanded the free movement of transport and people.
In addition, videos emerged on social networks of strong street clashes between civilians in the town of Puerto Quijarro, bordering Brazil and with some 20,000 inhabitants. The incidents, according to the images, show neighbors clashing with stones, sticks and firecrackers. There is even mention of a deceased, but there is no official confirmation.
The right-wing governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, pointed out that “unfortunately we had said it, the hauling [traslado] of people, obviously it generates violence.” Camacho alleged that the ruling party moved people from other regions of the country to counteract the force of the blockades.
“I think that what we are experiencing is the result of the government’s intransigence,” said Camacho, a key player in the resignation of indigenous president Evo Morales in 2019 after 14 years in power.
with AFP
