By Ali Sargent

Bolivian sex workers are many – around 45,000 are registered across the country – unionized, working legally but without recognition from the Ley de Trabajo [Work Law].  They are striking to get their doctors and nurses to stop striking. On April 27^th, a dozen workers from the union Organization of Night Workers declared a hunger strike at a local clinic in El Alto. A week into the strike three workers also sewed their lips together. The clinic is situated opposite the site of another hunger strike conducted by local health workers. The sex workers demand a solution for the nationwide health workers’ strike, which has so far lasted 67 days, and is declared indefinite. Health workers and medics are resisting an increase in their working hours from six to eight, without a change in salary. In the past few days negotiations have resulted in the 8-hour work day remitted for health workers, whilst the medics’ strike continues unresolved. The death of a baby in an El Alto hospital has been blamed in local papers on the current lack of available medical care. There have been counter-actions such as a grenade targeted striking medical students and protests led by patients.

By law, sex workers must undergo weekly checkups. Some clinics charge up to 400 Bolivianos. “Imagine if we’re not attended. We need the attention every week, with the risks we take,” says Betto, a male sex worker who has been working in prostitution for just over a year. Betto is in the process of setting up a union especially for male sex workers, who he claims are in growing number and visibility.

Stressing the importance of local clinics, the workers are unanimously unwilling to go to different clinics. By building a relationship with their doctors, they are able to protect their identities and avoid the discrimination they experience from other doctors. “You can’t understand the discrimination we face. Sometimes even our families discriminate,” says Lily, a worker in her forties who has been working in the sex industry for 20 years. Like some of the other strikers, this is not her first hunger strike. The age of strikers varies from late teens to forties or fifties.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20120509/rescatan-a-80-bolivianos-de-talleres-clandestinos_170851_359087.html

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483958639

French President-Elect Hollande

President Evo Morales sent his sincere congratulations to François Hollande, the socialist candidate who won France’s general election yesterday. In a letter sent by the Palace of Government, Morales said, “France deserves our highest consideration and admiration for its historic world leadership and for promoting fundamental human rights beginning with the “Declaration of the rights of man and citizen” that inspired the 1789 French Revolution that universalized new conditions of collective democracy as a base for profound political, economic and social transformations.” Hollande beat his center-right rival, Nicolás Sarkozy, 52% to 48%. Morales’ praise of French history made no mention of the fact that France was one of the largest players in the Atlantic slave trade for over 300 years. France’ slave trade was abolished and reinstated twice, only ending officially in 1848, fifty-nine years after the revolution of human rights that Morales praised, and making France one of the last European powers to abolish slavery.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483958528

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483958361

Today marks the beginning of the 9th protest march by Amazonian indigenous groups against deforestation and undemocratic actions by the Bolivian government. “At a minimum we are 300 people, but more indigenous communities are arriving by river this Friday morning,” said Amazonian Indigenous Council (CIDOB) leader Adolfo Chávez. The march will take approximately 35 days and cover 620 kilometers from the jungle city of Trinidad to the Bolivian capital of La Paz. Despite promises of free transit by Government Minister Carlos Romero, at least one town on the way has promised to block the marchers. During the last march the Bolivian government ordered police to block the marchers and then to attack the marchers, wounding many of the participants. Amnesty International and the United Nations mission in Bolivia have both made statements urging the government to respect the human rights of indigenous people and asked for the marchers’ rights of free assembly and speech to be protected. The march is issuing ID badges to all members and members of the free to prevent “infiltrators” and the marchers are organized into seven sections: political, advancement, health, logistics, transport, marching, and communications. Fernando Vargas, the leader of the last march, is currently hospitalized but hopes to join the marchers soon.

The marchers are demanding that Evo Morales stop violating the Law 180 he passed during the last indigenous march, guaranteeing the “inviolability” of the Isibóro Sécure Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS) and to abrogate Law 220 which allows city dwellers to decide if a Brazilian-backed highway can be cut through the TIPNIS starting at Evo Morales’ home village. The marchers demand legal title to their traditional lands and the protection of their Amazonian reserve. They also demand the imprisonment of whoever ordered 500 armed police to attack the last march and fulfillment of the 15 points that Morales agreed to after the 8th march. They also decry Morales’ attempts to establish a competing organization to CIDOB composed of his supporters and land invaders on the TIPNIS reserve which is calling itself Conisur.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.la-razon.com/nacional/indigenas-inician-Gobierno-garantiza-seguridad_0_1603639649.html