Bolivia Weekly » Transportation

Tarija Strike Over Gas Fields Continue

Matthew Grace — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:10:41 +0000

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 Cline & Associates, to survey the gas field and determine how royalties are shared between the two bordering departments.

Twenty-six people are on hunger strike in Tarija to protest the surveyor, and strikes have paralyzed the capital city. Meanwhile, border crossings into Argentina and Paraguay have been closed, interrupting shipping and stranding tourists.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20120126/tarija-abandona-dialogo-y-gobierno-advierte-con-iniciar-estudio-en-campo_158105_330047.html

Roadblocks in Tarija to Protest Gas Study

Matthew Grace — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:10:16 +0000

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 center.

Tarijeños are upset at a study by the U.S. firm Gaffney Cline & Associates, which determined that the Margarita gas fields extend beyond departmental territory, resulting in lost royalties in hydrocarbon production for the department. Tarijeño civic leaders are also questioning the legality of hiring the U.S. firm, and the scope of the company’s study.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.eldeber.com.bo/2012/2012-01-19/vernotaahora.php?id=120119112111

World Bank to Fund Food, Highway Development in 2012–2015

Matthew Grace — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:51:39 +0000

Photo by Neil Palmer (CIAT). General View, eastern Bolivia.

The World Bank announced yesterday that it will invest US$250 million in Bolivian rural development and highway infrastructure projects.

Oscar Avalle, the outgoing World Bank representative in Bolivia, met with Bolivian President Evo Morales yesterday to discuss development strategies and to introduce his successor, Faris Hadad Zervos, who will hold the post for the next three years. Avalle said that the US$250 million will go toward “food improvement” and road development, primarily in the San Buenaventura region of La Paz department and Rurrenabaque in Beni department.

Hadad said that the funds will also contribute to human development activities in maternal and child health and water and sanitation infrastructure to approximately one million people.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.la-razon.com/economia/Banco-Mundial-apoyara-Bolivia-millones_0_1527447243.html

No Gas Without License Plate

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:53:38 +0000

In Cochabamba alone, authorities estimate that 11, 300 vehicles are operating without license plates. With Bolivia’s recent amensty for all illegal vehicles complete, a new law requires all these newly regisitered vehicle owners to purchase new licnese plates in order to receive service at fueling stations. All gas stations must now register the license plate on the formal receipt given for each visit to the gas station or face hefty fines. Vehicles with foreign plates can still buy gas in Bolivia. A liter of gasoline in Bolivia costs $.50 due to heavy government subsidies. Drivers without plates will now face fines of Bs. 450 or more for driving illegally.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/economia/20111202/vehiculos-sin-placa-ya-no-pueden-cargar_151752_315141.html

Strike and Blockades in Oruro to Pressure Gov. in Land Dispute

Matthew Grace — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:08:11 +0000

In the department of Oruro, several civic and social organizations have begun a three-day strike a closure of national and international roads to call on the government to solve a border dispute between Quillacas, Oruro, and Coroma, Potosí, both of which are vying for an area rich in Limestone.

The president of the Oruro Civic Committee, Sonia Saavedra, said, “Brothers and sisters are together in order to reclaim the territory of our department, the wealth and future of our children.”

Meanwhile, in the early hours of Monday morning, the bus terminal in the city of La Paz suspended interdepartmental ticket sales and service to Oruro due to the strike and road blockades.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483951942

Brazil Open to TIPNIS Route Alternatives

Matthew Grace — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:59:10 +0000

The Brazilian government is waiting for its Bolivian counterpart to find an alternative project to the Villa Tunari–San Ignacio de Moxos highway. That project, which would traverse the TIPNIS indigenous territory, was recently canceled after massive protests and a march on the capital that lasted 65 days.

“From the standpoint of the Brazilian government, it is in our interest to find an alternative that accommodates political, developmental, and environmental concerns,” said the Brazilian ambassador in La Paz, Marcel Biato.

The ambassador also welcomed the decision by Bolivian president Evo Morales to cancel the project as a “conciliatory gesture” to the natives of the lowlands who walked over 650 kilometers for 65 days, from Trinidad to La Paz, to protest the project.

The original road project was agreed to on August 22, 2009 by President Morales and then Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, with financing provided by the Brazilian National Bank of Economic and Social Development (Bandes) and construction by the Brazilian OAS company.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483951139

Missing Aerocon Plane Found in Jungle with 8 Dead, 1 Missing

admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:41:12 +0000

After being missing for two days the crashed remains of an Aerocon flight from Santa Cruz to Trinidad were located in the jungle just 30 kilometers from their destination along with the bodies of eight of the nine passengers. One passenger, Minor Vidal, remains unaccounted for and authorities hope that he may have left the crash site alive in search of help. The plane was a Fairchild SA-227BC (SW3) on a commercial flight and crashed in the evening in smoky conditions caused by the tradition burning of the Amazon or Chaqueo. Three helicopters were required to enter the densely jungled crash site and remove the bodies. The military searched all night for Minor Vidal and will intensify their efforts today.

The victims included indigenous Chiquitano leaders Daniel Montenegro, Eddy Martínez and Joaquín Gutiérrez along with captain Santiago Román (the pilot), Sergio Marañón and co-pilot Mauricio Vlahovic. Two foreigners were killed in the crash: William Lara (Equador) and Óscar Valencia (Colombia). Aerocon said that they are covering the repatriation costs and are investigating the causes of the crash. The pilot had over 5,000 hours of flight experience and his co-pilot had 1500 hours of experience and were considered to be highly competent.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20110909/tragedia-aerea-8-muertos-y-un-desaparecido_141032_289651.html

Smoke From Amazonian Fires Close Bolivia’s Airports

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:52:26 +0000

Smoke from burning Amazonian fires has engulfed much of Bolivia in an annual tradition called the Chaqeo whereby farmers burn brush and forest to clear land. Many of the fires have burned out of control and at least 394 families had fled their homes as a result. The skies over major cities like Santa Cruz were so choked with smoke that their airports had to be closed. The Bolivian airport authority (AASANA) has closed 34 of the country’s 36 airports midsize airports, leaving only the airports of departmental capitals open. Amazonian airports are the worst affected, and an Aerocon plane with 9 passengers was recently lost. The Environment and Rural Development ministry reported that as of September 7th, there were 16,368 individual fires burning as part of the chaqeo. Many of these fires have burned out of control, destroying the homes of 126 families and causing 394 to flee. The worst fire was in San Andrés, 155 kilometers from Trinidad where 32 homes were lost in fires originally st by farmers who believe the fire makes their land more fertile. Despite the untold devastation to the world’s most important ecosystem, no human lives have been lost yet in this year’s fires.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.la-razon.com/version.php?ArticleId=137146&EditionId=2646

Cochabamba to Host First Classic Car Show

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:33:19 +0000

The Cochabamba Classic Car Club (CVCC) has organized the first ever Classic Car Exposition for this upcoming weekend at the event center El Campo. The event will benefit the burn victim unit of he Viedma hospital and various local and national TV stations are expected to attend. The CVCC was founded in 1997 and has more than 30 members who possess classic cars from brands such as Ford, Chevrolet, Mercedes Benz, GMC, Cadillac, Plymouth, Austin, MG, and BMW along with classic motorcycles like Harley Davidson, Indian, Sunbean and Triumph. One of the jewels of the show is a 1925 Chevrolet with a wooden interior and carriage lamp.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.lostiempos.com/click/en-portada/en-portada/20110826/primera-expo-de-vehiculos-clasicos_139170_285141.html

Santa Cruz Roadblocks Aimed at Gov. Minister

Matthew Grace — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:27:48 +0000

The Santa Cruz Federation of Peasant Workers announced that starting today it would block roads in the Santa Cruz department in order to demand the resignation of the minister of rural development and agriculture, Nemesia Achacollo, whom they accused of betraying the peasant movement.

Félix Vera, the press secretary of the peasant organization, told Radio Santa Cruz that the blockade is growing organically but did not specify how large it would get.

“We are announcing the blockade and we decided to do it in order that Minister Nemesia Achacollo leaves, because she never consulted us and has betrayed the union movement,” the peasant representative explained.

The representative also accused the state authority of interference in the peasant organization in addition to other parallel organizations, with leaders who have been disciplined and even expelled from the organizations.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20110810/campesinos-bloquearan-santa-cruz-pidiendo-renuncia-de-la-ministra_137279_280566.html