Since mid-August, indigenous residents of the TIPNIS indigenous territory of north-central Bolivia have been involved in a face-off with Bolivian president Evo Morales. Indigenous leaders, who in the past could be counted on as staunch supporters of the president, have been protesting the government’s plans for a road that would link Cochabamba and Beni states, [...]

The Bolivian Highway Administration (ABC) yesterday defended and ratified the contract with Brazil’s OAS for the construction of the Villa Tunari–San Ignacio de Moxos highway, despite allegations of irregularities in the agreement. “The contract is completely legal,” said the general secretary of the ABC, Antonio Mullisaca, who denied that the project has cost overruns. The [...]

Culture minister Elizabeth Salguero urged Bolivian President Evo Morales and his cabinet to respect the United Nations’ declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. Salguero said under Article 8 of the declaration, indigenous people and individuals have the right to not suffer forced assimilation or the destruction of their culture, and also that Article 32 [...]

The national 24-hour strike by the COB, Bolivia’s largest labor union, in support of the Tipnis indigenous protestors, partially started today, although the main capitals of the scity have not yet began to feel its effect. Union workers said that it the strike will apply more pressure throughout the morning. The executive secretary of the [...]

Bolivian government minister Sacha Llorenti said that neither he nor President Evo Morales ordered the police intervention on the indigenous marchers that occurred this Sunday in San Miguel de Chaparina. According to Llorenti, the order was given by Marcos Farfán, who today resigned from his position as deputy minister of government. He will be investigated [...]

President Morales announced last night that he is temporarily suspending work on the contested section II of the Amazonian highway for a “national debate” over the route of the road through the Isiboro Securé National Park. Indigenous leaders were angered by this measure, saying that they do not want the road to pass through any [...]

Bolivian defense minister Cecilia Chacón resigned today in protest of the government’s handling of ongoing indigenous protests. “I make this decision because I do not agree with the means of intervening in the marches that the government taken, and I cannot defend or justify it,” Chacón said in her letter of resignation, which was sent [...]

Yesterday police attacked the group of indigenous marchers, firing tear gas into the crowd and beating people with their batons. The police stated that their own safety was at stake because the marchers had threatened them with bows and arrows. An infant baby of three months is reported to have died from tear gas inhalation. [...]

The march of indigenous Amazonian protestors finally broke through a police blockade yesterday by taking Bolivia’s foreign minister, David Choquehuanca, hostage. Four injuries among the police were reported and it is not known if any marchers were injured. The marchers released Choquehuanca after two hours and continued on with their traditional bows and arrows. The [...]

Bolivia’s national police have blocked the 1,000 indigenous marchers from continuing to La Paz. Police announced that the peaceful march may not continue for safety reasons but did not explain further. A counter march of 300 people aligned with the government set off dynamite 200 meters away. The was was blocked yesterday by 200 national [...]