Tarija Strike Over Gas Fields Continue26 January 2012 no comments After ten hours of dialogue, the delegation from Tarija walked out of negotiations with the representatives of Chuquisaca department and the Bolivian government, rejecting the accord that would share revenues from the Margarita gas fields between the Tarija and Chuquisaca departments. At the root of the conflict is the hiring of a U.S. company, Gaffney [...] Real Potosi Beats Brazil’s Flamengo with Ronaldinho 2-126 January 2012 no comments  In a historic match, Bolivia’s Real Potosi soccer team has defeated one of the world’s best clubs, Flamengo from Brazil in the Copa Libertadores yesterday. Real Potosi will play the next round in Río de Janeiro against Olimpia (Paraguay), Emelec (Ecuador) y Lanús (Argentina) for the group 2 title. Flamengo’s Luiz Antonio started the game [...] La Paz Governor and Mayor in Fooseball Clash25 January 2012 no comments  The Department of La Paz’s governor César Cocarico used a strong defense to help him defeat La Paz mayor Luis Revilla 3-2 in a televised bout of fooseball that kicked off La Paz’s famous Alasitas Fair. Alasitas are miniature versions of everyday objects that many Bolivians believe can be used in rituals and sacrifices [...] New Cabinet Sets Longer Hours for Health-Care Workers24 January 2012 no comments  Bolivian President Evo Morales issued a decree yesterday morning that will enforce an eight-hour workday in the health sector, despite protests from health-care workers, who say that the shift from a six-hour workday would be too demanding. At a press conference, the new health minister, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, asked health-care workers to comply with the [...] Chilean Tourist Dies In Copacabana24 January 2012 no comments Three young Chileans were on vacation in Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca when one of them, Sergio Gachón began feeling ill. In the small town hospital they prescribed Gachón penicillin without ascertaining that Gachón had a severe penicillin allergy. Gachón died later that day in his hostel. Gachón’s family said that this was [...] Handicapped Marchers Win Government Concession23 January 2012 no comments The government has signed an accord with handicapped citizens who had been marching in protest. The accord will create a commission to study whether Bolivia can afford a monthly welfare payment to handicapped individuals. The marchers are asking for Bs. 3000 per month ($428 or roughly four times Bolivia’s minimum wage). The La Paz president [...] Ivan Canelas Resigns22 January 2012 no comments  Bolivia’s Minister of Communication Iván Canelas, resigned from the government effective on January 20. Canelas read a letter announcing his resignation and thanking president Evo Morales for the chance to help him. “The chance of helping you in this arduous job has been an important experience in my life, however, for motives that you are [...] Bolivia, US and Brazil Sign Anti-Drug Treaty21 January 2012 no comments  Bolivia, Brazil, and the United States have signed a landmark anti-drug treaty that will allow outsiders to monitor coca destruction in Bolivia. John Creamer of the US Embassy in La Paz said, “This is a very important step in the fight against drugs.” Brazil’s ambassador Marcel Biato echoed his statements. Bolivia’s Government Minister, Wilfredo Chávez, [...] Amazon Road Construction Resumed at $2.18 Million Per Mile20 January 2012 1 comment  Bolivia’s Minister of Planning, Viviana Caro said today that Brazilian company OAS will continue building segments I and III of the infamous Amazon highway that the Bolivian government had agreed not to build after a march by indigenous protestors. Now, just three months after President Evo Morales agreed to demands that the would not be [...] Roadblocks in Tarija to Protest Gas Study19 January 2012 no comments  Civic leaders in Tarija have called for a strike and blockade of international routes linking that department to border crossings to Paraguay and Argentina. Preliminary reports confirm that the international bridge at Bermejo, linking to Aguas Blancas in Argentina, is closed, and the capital city of Tarija is undergoing a general strike in the city [...] Bolivia to Invest in Coca-Tea Plant to Fight Diabetes18 January 2012 no comments  The Bolivian government will install an industrial pant to produce mate–or tea–based on the coca leaf to be used by physicians in the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Germain Loza, the deputy minister of Coca and Integral Development, said that the project will produce mate from the dried leaves of the coca plant, which will [...] Bolivian-American Cecilia Muñoz Rises in Obama Administration15 January 2012 no comments  On January 10th, the White House announced that current Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Muñoz will now serve as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council. Ms. Munoz will coordinate the policy-making process and supervise the execution of domestic policy in the White House. Ms. Muñoz is the daughter of immigrants from Bolivia and was [...] Flooding in Santa Cruz and Trinidad14 January 2012 no comments  Intense rains have left streets and homes in outlying neighborhoods of Santa Cruz and Trinidad under water according to regional authroities. The Santa Cruz representative of Neighborhood Committees, Abad Lino, said that people are walking “with water up to their necks” because of the recent days of rain. Many poor neighborhoods have no sewers or [...] Indigenous Leaders Declare Emergency as MAS Votes for Amazonian Highway13 January 2012 1 comment  The main group representing lowland and Amazonian indigenous peoples in Bolivia, CIDOB, has declared an emergency as the government-controlled legislature prepares to consider modifying the “Ley Corta” or Short Law passed to protest Isiboro Securé national park from a planned highway through it. Coca growers from Chaparé have marched to the capital, demanding that the [...] Violence Spirals in Yapacaní, 3 dead in Protests12 January 2012 no comments Yesterday afternoon, a mass meeting of the inter-institutional committee of Yapacaní (cabildo) seeking the resignation of Yapacaní mayor David Carvajal was broken up violently by police who appear to have killed at least three people and wounded many more. After the violence Carvajal has resigned. Hundreds of protestors with rocks, sticks and fireworks faced off [...] Morales Loses 2/3 Majority in Congress9 January 2012 no comments The legislative processes pushed by the ruling Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party in the assembly will not be as easily achieved as they were in the last two years (2010-11) of President Evo Morales’s second term, due to divisions in the party that will prevent it from a two-thirds majority in the congress: an anti-Moralas [...] Coca Growers Expel Military9 January 2012 no comments  Today roughly 400 coca growers including men, women and children from the four towns of La Asunta, Litoral, Río Cajones y Puerto Rico in the Sud Yungasregion of the La Paz Department have expelled 20 soldiers from a nearby base where they were patrolling for illegal coca. Locals complain of illegal detentions and physical [...] Costas Fights Against Contempt Charges3 January 2012 no comments  Yesterday, the defense team for Rubén Costas, the embattled governor of Santa Cruz department, presented a new legal appeal in order for him to evade being convicted for contempt of court. Richard Cardozo, Costas’ lawyer, appeared in front of the Seventh Criminal Court in La Paz in order to present a new appeal, the so-called [...] Controversial New Judges Sworn in Today3 January 2012 no comments  Today 56 new magistrates will be sworn into office during a ceremony in Sucre. The government is calling this a triumph of democracy because the new magistrates were elected by popular vote on October 16, and the opposition deplores the new judges as politically biased members of the judiciary who did not have a popular [...] Spanish Newspaper names TIPNIS leader as top 100 of 20111 January 2012 2 comments  The Spanish newspaper El País named Bolivian indigenous leader Fernando Vargas as one to the top 100 most important people of the Hispanic world of 2011. Bolivia’s President, Evo Morales, was not included on the list, nor were any other Bolivians. El Pais describes Vargas as “The Indian that turned to face Evo Morales.” Other [...] |