Dialog Broken with Mesa

There were no surprises in the long meeting between the Bolivian social leaders and President Carlos Mesa. The pressure from the movements across the country is going to increase, according to Evo Morales. And the government will begin its legal offensive, trying to criminalize the protests. Let’s go to the facts… As expected, President Carlos Mesa did not really have much to offer the social movements. For four hours he tried to convince the popular leaders of his policies and positions, accompanied by Minister of Trickery – excuse me, Minister of the Presidency José Galindo (the man behind the throne in this country). But it ended in nothing… the representatives of the Bolivian people left the palace an hour ago and went to Evo Morales’ office in the National Congress, to evaluate the situation. Meanwhile, in the Chamber of Deputies, the members of congress are debating and finalizing the new proposal for a hydrocarbons law, which the Senate will need to review in the coming days…

Minister Galindo gave a press conference and, speaking for the government, said that the dialog “remains open, despite any positions or backgrounds of the persons involved,” in clear reference to the accusations that the executive branch has made toward Evo Morales, Jaime Solares, Felipe Quispe, and others. At the same time, Galindo refused to take any responsibility for the various confrontations that have occurred between the presidents’ supports and members of the social movements in El Alto, Yapacaní (Santa Cruz department), or the attempted attack on Evo and the other social leaders in the Plaza Murillo… nevertheless, it seems that Mesa’s call to confront the social movements has had its effect: in Yapacaní the people have brawled and on townsperson was stabbed.

Of course, as the dialog has broken, Galindo also anounced that the charges being filed against blockader in the courts will go ahead. “If the justice system acts, I don’t think the movements will radicalize,” said the minister, working off the fear of the protesters. His call to the citizenry, to the “blockaded,” was constant. And coming back to the issue of justice, the minister said that the “first” measure would be to bring legal charges against the protesters, without explaining whether the second would be political or military repression. Before finishing, Galino took some time to explain Mesa’s political agenda once again. But the most important thing he said was that “we cannot offer 50 percent royalties,” the central demand that the new social alliance has pressed for in the last few hours.

After meeting for a while, the social leaders announced in Congress that their pressure tactics will be deepened. They added that it is a shame that Mesa does not understand why the demands of the Bolivian movements are so important for the people of this country. Tomorrow in the Public University of Alto there is another meeting to work on and organize the national mobilization pact… we’ll see you there. Stay with us, kind readers.