06.02.1997

Massacre in Bolivia

Summary of a report from Poder Obrero Bolivia

Around 100 people were wounded and eleven were killed in Amayapampa, Capasirca, Pucro, Uncia, Siglo XX and Llallagua, all located in Province Bustillos in Bolivia in December.

This was the response of president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada to the struggle of workers and peasants who live around the gold mines of Amayapampa and Capasirca which are under the property of the Canadian company, Da Capo Resources Ltd. The miners demanded no sackings and a living minimum wage. The peasants demanded that the company should pay taxes and not destroy the environment.

In confrontations the workers and peasants were able to disarm policemen and soldiers and to defend themselves. On December 19 several workers and peasants were killed along with Colonel Eddy Rivas, chief of the Special Security Group. On December 20, when the army repressed demonstrations in Llallagua, the capital city of the province, many workers and students were injured or killed and there were also 30 army casualties.

The massacre was led by Franklin Anaya, government minister, and Willy Arriaza, chief of the National Police. It happened in the same province which three decades ago suffered the ‘San Juan massacre’ when the military dictatorship killed miners on strike.

Bustillos is a mining province which was the centre of the most important miners’ union between 1940 and 1990. The peasants of that province, the population of Llalagua and the students of the Siglo XX University actively supported the miners.

The union bureaucracy and the government made a deal under which the miners and the population had to return their arms to the army and the Canadian company would pay some taxes for development of the area.

On January 9 around 5,000 cooperative miners decided to occupy the Pailaviri mine. After more than one week of confrontations the miners won a victory. The government decided to give to them properties from the former state mining company (COMIBOL) such as the canteen.

The COB (Bolivian TUC) held a national aggregate to discuss the organisation of a campaign of street demonstrations. Every year February is a significant month because the government and the COB usually discuss the national wage increase.

Every year since 1994 the COB has declared an indefinite general strike in spring. The government is waging a propaganda war against the left with the aim of preparing for serious repression.

Poder Obrero is working in Bolivia for a national campaign to fight for a minimum living wage and nationalisation of all the private companies and mines. The workers and peasants need to develop rank and file committees and self-defence organisations. We are for a general strike organised by a national strike committee composed of delegates elected and recallable by rank and file assemblies.