Bolivia is again on the edge of the precipice. Street confrontation in Sucre have left at least two dead (w/ the unconfirmed death of a third, a police officer). The Bolivian press is now calling this “Black November” (recalling Goni’s 2003 “Black October”).
The government withdrew all police forces from the city of Sucre (the police marched out w/ chants insulting citizens & asking them to “fend for themselves”), even as at least 1,000 Ponchos Rojos march towards the city. On their way out, the police released the convicts from San Roque prison (though more than half stayed in or returned to their cells).
Absent any central government officials, Sucre has declared itself autonomous. Not surprisingly, the civic committees of Santa Cruz, Tarija, and Cochabamba support them. All this after MAS delegates approved a constitutional draft—which was not read to the delegates in plenary session—in an unorthodox session that didn’t include any members of the opposition (nearly 100 of 255 delegates).
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