Bolivian city under martial law

[dArKeR]

La Paz — Bolivia's government imposed martial law on a city outside the capital Sunday after clashes between troops and demonstrators angry about proposals to export gas to the United States and Mexico. Sixteen people have been reported killed.

Soldiers manned major intersections in El Alto, a poor, industrial city 15 kilometres outside the capital, La Paz. But the move didn't stop protesters who repeatedly clashed with the soldiers and police trying to disperse them.

Roman Catholic priest Asensio Mamani said he saw three people killed in the clashes in his neighborhood, Senakata, on Sunday. Another priest, Modesto Chino, said two demonstrators were also killed in the Ballivian neighborhood.

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031012.wboli1012/BNStory/Front/

[bemildred]

1. This has been brewing for a while.

The stupid shit Sanchez de Lozada was elected by 22% to Evo
Morales 21%, and has proceeded to act like he has a mandate to
do whatever Uncle Sugar says. Another piece on this:

Bolivia on coup alert after 34 die in gas export protests

The crisis deepened when the Vice-President, Carlos
Mesa, withdrew his support from Mr Sanchez de Lozada. "I
cannot support the government in this action," he said.

Mr Sanchez de Lozada sets great store by his relationship
with President George Bush's government, which has made
huge efforts to secure fuel supplies from Latin America. But
the opposition says Bolivia will receive little or nothing of the
revenues.

The authorities warned that further protests could provoke a
military coup. Faced with the prospect of civil war, the
President stepped back for the first time yesterday.

But Congressman Evo Morales, a protest leader, said Mr
Sanchez de Lozada's resignation would provide "the only
political solution to this crisis".

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=453122