According to La Razon, September 5, 2011, the turmoil during the first semester in Bolivia have grown as a result of economic issues, as compared with similar period in 2010.

Protests and recorded problems are economic in nature; 50% of 689 problems between January – June 2011 were mostly because of higher cost of living; demands for salary increases; labor issues; and over the control of natural resources as development engines.

The economic conflicts with major repercussions and visible were for demands on salary increases above 10% and the increase in transport tariffs as a result of a higher gasoline, diesel prices which were later reverted by the same government who push them in the first place.

This study was made by Unir Foundation and reported by La Razon. It also reflected that the increase in the cost of living, specially food, triggered other economic problems as compared with previous years. The union sectors and social movements were the sources of conflict in all nine departments. Neighborhood players were among the more spontaneous but also sporadic.

Unir Foundation concluded that the conflicts did not threaten governance nor the country’s sociopolitical stability, but the direct violent rates they reached, show that the economic conflicts are a factor that may affect “severely the pacific coexistence among Bolivians.”

http://www.la-razon.com/version.php?ArticleId=136957&EditionId=2643

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