[Writing this dispatch from Bolivia, the conflict here is
spiraling out of control and I fear it will only get worse. ]
[[link removed]]

"THEY'RE KILLING US LIKE DOGS"—A MASSACRE IN BOLIVIA AND A PLEA FOR
HELP  
[[link removed]]


 

Medea Benjamin
November 22, 2019
Common Dreams
[[link removed]]


*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
* [[link removed]]

_ Writing this dispatch from Bolivia, the conflict here is spiraling
out of control and I fear it will only get worse. _

Bolivian riot police breaks up a massive funeral procession that
turned into an anti-government demonstration in La Paz on November 21,
2019. , Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images

 

I am writing from Bolivia just days after witnessing the November 19
military massacre at the Senkata gas plant in the indigenous city of
El Alto, and the tear-gassing of a peaceful funeral procession on
November 21 to commemorate the dead.

These are examples, unfortunately, of the modus operandi of the de
facto government that seized control in a coup that forced Evo Morales
out of power.

The coup has spawned massive protests, with blockades set up around
the country as part of a national strike calling for the resignation
of this new government. One well-organized blockade is in El Alto,
where residents set up barriers surrounding the Senkata gas plant,
stopping tankers from leaving the plant and cutting off La Paz’s
main source of gasoline.

"The military has guns and a license to kill; we have nothing," cried
a mother whose son had just been shot in Senkata. "Please, tell the
international community to come here and stop this."

Determined to break the blockade, the government sent in helicopters,
tanks and heavily armed soldiers in the evening of November 18. The
next day, mayhem broke out when the soldiers began teargassing
residents, then shooting into the crowd. I arrived just after the
shooting. The furious residents took me to local clinics where the
wounded were taken. I saw the doctors and nurses desperately trying to
save lives, carrying out emergency surgeries in difficult conditions
with a shortage of medical equipment. I saw five dead bodies and
dozens of people with bullet wounds. Some had just been walking to
work when they were struck by bullets. A grieving mother whose son was
shot cried out between sobs: “They’re killing us like dogs.” In
the end, there were eight confirmed dead.

The next day, a local church became an improvised morgue, with the
dead bodies—some still dripping blood—lined up in pews and doctors
performing autopsies. Hundreds gathered outside to console the
families and contribute money for coffins and funerals. They mourned
the dead, and cursed the government for the attack and the local press
for refusing to tell the truth about what happened.

The local news coverage about Senkata was almost as startling as the
lack of medical supplies. The de facto government has threatened
journalists with sedition
[[link removed]]
should they spread "disinformation" by covering protests, so many
don’t even show up. Those who do often spread disinformation. The
main TV station reported three deaths and blamed the violence on the
protesters, giving airtime to the new Defense Minister Fernando Lopez
who made the absurd claim that soldiers did not fire "a single bullet"
and that "terrorist groups" had tried to use dynamite to break into
the gasoline plant.

SIGN THE PETITION: Tell UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle
Bachelet to visit Bolivia [[link removed]]

It’s little wonder that many Bolivians have no idea what is
happening. I have interviewed and spoken to dozens of people on both
sides of the political divide. Many of those who support the de facto
government justify the repression as a way to restore stability. They
refuse to call President Evo Morales’ ouster a coup and claim there
was fraud in the October 20 election that sparked the conflict. These
claims of fraud, which were prompted by a report by the Organization
of American States, have been debunked
[[link removed]]
by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a think tank in
Washington, D.C.

Morales, the first indigenous president in a country with an
indigenous majority, was forced to flee to Mexico after he, his family
and party leaders received death threats and attacks—including the
burning of his sister’s house. Regardless of the criticisms people
may have of Evo Morales, especially his decision to seek a fourth
term, it is undeniable that he oversaw a growing economy that
decreased poverty and inequality
[[link removed]].
He also brought relative stability to a country with a history of
coups and upheavals.
[[link removed]]
Perhaps most importantly, Morales was a symbol that the country’s
indigenous majority could no longer be ignored. The de facto
government has defaced indigenous symbols and insisted on the
supremacy of Christianity and the Bible over indigenous traditions
that the self-declared president, Jeanine Añez, has characterized as
“satanic.”
[[link removed]]
This surge in racism has not been lost on the indigenous protesters,
who demand respect for their culture and traditions.

Jeanine Añez, who was the third highest ranking member of the
Bolivian Senate, swore herself in as president after Morales'
resignation, despite not having a necessary quorum in the legislature
to approve her as president. The people in front of her in the line of
succession—all of whom belong to Morales’ MAS party—resigned
under duress. One of those is Victor Borda, president of the lower
house of congress, who stepped down after his home was set on fire and
his brother was taken hostage.

"It is not hyperbole to suggest that this could result in a civil
war."

Upon taking power, Áñez's government threatened to arrest MAS
legislators, accusing them of "subversion and sedition
[[link removed]],"
despite the fact that this party holds a majority in both chambers of
congress. The de facto government then received international
condemnation after issuing a decree granting immunity to the military
in its efforts to reestablish order and stability. This decree has
been described as a "license to kill
[[link removed]]"
and "carte blanche
[[link removed]]" to
repress, and it has been strongly criticized
[[link removed]]
by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The result of this decree has been death, repression and massive
violations of human rights. In the week and a half since the coup, 32
people have died in protests, with more than 700 wounded. This
conflict is spiraling out of control and I fear it will only get
worse. Rumors abound on social media of military and police units
refusing the de facto government's orders to repress. It is not
hyperbole to suggest that this could result in a civil war. That's why
so many Bolivians are desperately calling for international help. "The
military has guns and a license to kill; we have nothing," cried a
mother whose son had just been shot in Senkata. "Please, tell the
international community to come here and stop this."

I have been calling for Michelle Bachelet
[[link removed]], the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights and former president of Chile, to join
me on the ground in Bolivia. Her office is sending a technical mission
to Bolivia, but the situation requires a prominent figure. Restorative
justice is needed for the victims of violence and dialogue is needed
to defuse tensions so Bolivians can restore their democracy. Ms.
Bachelet is highly respected in the region; her presence could help
save lives and bring peace to Bolivia. 

 

_MEDEA BENJAMIN [[link removed]],
co-founder of Global Exchange [[link removed]] and
CODEPINK: Women for Peace [[link removed]], is the
author of the new book, Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of
the Islamic Republic of Iran
[[link removed]]. Her
previous books include: Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi
Connection
[[link removed]];
Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control
[[link removed]];
Don’t Be Afraid Gringo: A Honduran Woman Speaks from the Heart
[[link removed]],
and (with Jodie Evans) Stop the Next War Now (Inner Ocean Action
Guide)
[[link removed]].
Follow her on Twitter: @medeabenjamin
[[link removed]]_

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
* [[link removed]]

 

 

 

INTERPRET THE WORLD AND CHANGE IT

 

 

Submit via web [[link removed]]
Submit via email
Frequently asked questions [[link removed]]
Manage subscription [[link removed]]
Visit xxxxxx.org [[link removed]]

Twitter [[link removed]]

Facebook [[link removed]]

 




[link removed]

To unsubscribe, click the following link:
[link removed]