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NEWS & LETTERS, DECEMBER 2003Bolivia hunger strikeBolivia’s MST (landless workers’ movement) began calling for renewed land seizures on Nov 23, after being told by Carlos Mesa, Bolivia’s new president, that he has no interest in meeting with their leaders. That same day campesinos began a blockade of the highway from the city of Trinidad to Santa Cruz (towards the east of the country) for the central government’s failure to follow through on a series of promises. This was the first such road blockage since Sanchez de Lozada was ousted on Oct. 17. A second hunger strike was begun in the capital, in front of Mesa’s new offices, by families of the more than 80 who were killed in October, after the police continued to abuse the first group who began their strike on Nov. 4. The hunger strikers are demanding payments of about $16,000 for each family who lost someone to the military’s rampages, most of whom were killed on Oct. 13 and 14. Mesa’s approach so far seems to be to see just how long he can continue to ignore these various groups while giving the bourgeoisie time to reorganize itself. The latter has assembled four new parties already, with such names as New National Identity, and National Renovated Alliance, with the aim of controlling municipal elections in December, 2004. Mesa will be in power until 2007--if he lasts. --Mitch Weerth |
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