Negotiations with the government reached a point where there were no results for the indigenous group; the vice-president of the TIPNIS Marching Committee, Jenny Suarez said she did not understand why current Bolivian president does not come to talk where the group is, but goes to talk with coca growers. The 1,890 people who are in the marching group have decided to walk again, they decided to walk early today but because of the Aerocon missing flight, where one of the passengers was member of CIDOB, they decided to wait until this afternoon, to reinitiate the walk; the march started with 1,000 people, back in August 15.
The TIPNIS group is aware of the conflict that waits for them in Yucumo, a group of settlers (colonos) have dig ditches along the road to stop the march, this group has five demands that the TIPNIS should “accept” if they wish to continue their walk. A citizen from La Paz who was going to Trinidad (Beni’s capital) was stopped there as the blockaders thought he was going to join the TIPNIS group.
The ombudsman, Rolando Villena, asked one of the leaders of the CSUTCB (campesino union), Roberto Coraite to apologize publicly to the indigenous TIPNIS group because he called them “savages.” [Carlos Valverde in his morning radio program, today, was wondering if the government would prosecute Coraite for his pejorative remarks when he was advocating the road construction]
This cartoon is from El Dia, TIPNIS is facing attacks from all over: flying balls of fire towards the forest with labels “abuses”; “pressures”; and “accusations”
This cartoon is from La Prensa, with all the threats and actions that TIPNIS indigenous people have to go through, to reach dialogue.
Bolivian Thoughts | Pensamientos Bolivianos (Bilingual/Bilingüe) 