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  • I’m Miguel Centellas, a political science professor at Mount St. Mary’s University. Because of academic interests, I post frequently on Bolivian politics. I also occasionally discuss interesting books, pop culture, and daily life in Baltimore.
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Santa Cruz students clash with police

October 25, 2007
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I’ve been swamped w/ work (particularly trying to make better progress on my book manuscript) the past few days. But Bolivia is still simmering. There was another clash between university students and police in Santa Cruz. Students from UAGRM (Universidad Autonóma Gabriel René Moreno), joined by a number of other civic groups, marched in opposition to the government’s plan to reduce the share of hydrocarbons tax revenue to municipalities, departments, and universities. The laws that regulate the tax structure (since 1994) stipulate that 20% must go directly to the country’s municipalities (on a per capita basis), and other 5% must go to the universities (all Bolivian public universities are autonomously self-governed since the 1940s). At least 10 were injured. The UAGRM students will be joined today and over the weekend by other mobilizations, including the UMSA (Universidad Mayor de San Andrés) university students from La Paz.

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Comments

Miguel, while I support their cause in this, I fully disagree with their methods. Last night and this morning the images on TV were of young, well-to-do hoodlums trying to kick down the metal doors to one of the buildings (either Superintendencia de Hidrocarburos or the tax office; I'm not sure which), while others launched rocks at the police who were trying to restore order. They basically destroyed the roll-up door and had they entered the offices, likely would have caused thousands of dollars of damage. It really causes me to wonder what these universities are teaching. I can't imagine that this will help their cause in the least.

Sidebar: The press in Bolivia drives me to distraction filming and often encouraging this behavior. Hopefully some of the faces of the hoods will be recognized so that they can pay for the physical damages they caused.

Posted by Norman October 25, 2007 12:20 PM

    Norm, I agree completely. Sadly, however, this is the common tactic (physically assaulting or trying to "seize" public buildings) of all sides for the better part of the last decade.

    I remember in 1999, a group of small debters organized into a syndicato (a union) and physically took over the finance ministry building in La Paz, wearing dynamite vests, and seizing hostages, and demanding a moratorium on their debts from various public banks. In the end, the government negotiated (as it almost always does) and no one did jail time.

    Posted by mcentellas October 25, 2007 1:54 PM

      Erbol says the government is blaming the Unión Juvenil Cruceñista.

      http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2951

      Also you might be interested--

      "RSF protesta por la agresión a seis periodistas en Viru Viru"

      http://www.lostiempos.com/noticias/25-10-07/25_10_07_ultimas_nac10.php

      Posted by John October 25, 2007 7:24 PM


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