www.indymedia.org13 Jan 2007 02:55 GMT | www.indymedia.org
The streets of Cochabamba were once again the scene of clashes between social movemenents and supporters of the unpopular mayor. Peasants, natives, cocaleros (coca leaf growers) and independent groups have been protesting since the beginning of the week demanding the renunciation of mayor Manfred Reyes Vila. After violent repression during a march on Monday, the movements remained in the central square ("September 14") for a vigil. Vigils are also being held in other squares in the central area.
On Thursday, January 11, a march of the mayor defenders penetrated the police blockade in the center of the city and struck tens of demonstrators of the social movements with baseball bats, sticks, firearms and knives in an attempt to resume control of the square, September 14, where city hall is located. The police advanced using tear gas, which provoked violent clashes. There is a growing number of injured people. So far there are approximately 115 injured and two dead: cocalero Nicomedes Gutiérrez, of the Chimore Central, killed by a gunshot and Cristian Urresty, of the group Youths for Democracy, killed by strangulation.
Manfred, the mayor, abandoned Cochabamba the same morning the clash was announced, and took refuge in a hotel in La Paz. That afternoon, during the confrontations, a meeting was carried out with the mayor's allies in the cities Benji, Tarija, Santa Cruz, La Paz and Cochabamba. They agreed they would not establish a dialogue with the federal government and they would carry out actions in solidarity with the Cochabamba mayor. At night, the federal government announced that during the clash three persons were detained with firearm, all connected to the Civic Committee of Cochabamba and that the "intolerance and lack of negotiations" on the part of Manfred resulted in the serious social conflict. The social movements called for another march for Friday, January 12, in the central square of Cochabamba.
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The discontent with the mayor was accentuated through the last weeks, when in a public speech he supported the independence of the Santa Cruz department, and promoted protest in favor of the 2/3 in the Constituent Assembly and the departmental autonomies before the federal government. However, in a referendum carried out months before in Cochabamba, the "No" to the "departmental autonomies" prevailed, which was a dissatisfaction to the mayor that began a campaign of mobilizations for those demands.