Christmas Masscare in Bolivia

Summary of a report from Poder Obrero/Bolivia.

On 19 and 20 December the Bolivian government made the "Christmas Massacre". Around 100 people were wounded and nine were killed in Amayapampa, Capasirca, Pucro, Uncía, Siglo XX and Llallagua, all located in Province Bustillos (north of Potosi) .This was the response of president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada to the struggle of the workers and peasants that live around the mines of gold of Amayapampa and Capasirca which are now under the property of the Canadian company Da Capo Resources Ltd. The miners demanded no sackings and a living minimum wage. The peasants demanded that this company should pay taxes and not destroy the ecology. In that confrontations the workers and peasants were able to disarm policemen and soldiers and to defend themselves. On 19 December several

workers and peasants died and also the Colonel Eddy Rivas, chief of the Special Security Group. On the 20, when the army repressed Llallagua, the capital city of the province, many workers and students were injured or killed but also the army have more than 30 casualties. The massacre was led by Franklin Anaya, minister of government, and Willy Arriaza, chief of the National Police.

It happened in the same province which three decades ago suffered the "San Juan massacre" when the military dictatorship killed miners in strike. Bustillos is a mining

province which was the centre of the most important miners union (like Siglo XX and Catavi)

between 1940 and 1990. The peasants of that province, the population of Llalagua and the students of the Siglo XX university actively supported the miners. The union bureaucracy and the government made a deal in which the miners and the population had to return the arms to the army and the Canadian company should pay some taxes to the development of the area. Now the workers could suffer the consequences of a selective repressive vengeance.

On 9 January around 5,000 co-operative miners decided to occupy the mine Pailaviri in the famous Potosi's Rich Mountain. After more than one week of confrontations he miners obtained a victory. The government decided to give to them properties from the former state mining company (COMIBOL) like the canteen, the device, etc. The COB will held a national aggregate this Thursday 24 in which it will be discuss the organisation of a campaign of street demonstrations. Every year February is a significant month because the government and the COB (Bolivian Trade Union Congress) usually discuss the national wage's increase. Since 1994 every year around March the COB declared an indefinite general strike. The government is making a propaganda war against the left whit the aim of preparing a serious repression. We are working in Bolivia for a national claim which have to fight for a minimum living wage and the nationalisation of all the privatise companies and mines.

The workers and peasants need to develop rank and file committees and self-defence organisations. We are for a general strike organise by a national strike committee composed by delegates elected and recallable by rank and file assemblies.