Bolivian police break up anti-highway march

[Bacchus39]

Source: AP


Bolivia (AP) — Bolivian police used tear gas and truncheons to break up a march Sunday by hundreds of indigenous activists protesting plans to build a highway they say will despoil a vast Amazon nature preserve.

Police arrested the march's leaders, hauling them away in buses. Bolivia's national ombudsman, Rolando Villena told Erbol radio "there was excess use of force" by police in "violating the rights of the Indians in the protest."

The U.N.'s representative in Bolivia, Yoriko Yasukawa, called on the government to rely on dialogue.

Witnesses including an Associated Press photographer saw about 500 police surround protesters, including woman and children, just before dusk Sunday and set upon them with gas and clubs.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/bolivian-police-break-anti-highway-march-053338120.html

[naaman fletcher]

1. It's sad

that the indigenous can't get a fair shake in south america.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Or North America

Or Central America

[COLGATE4]

3. And that's happening with an indigenous President!

[bitchkitty]

4. I know, right? Just imagine

how horrible it would be under a US-backed right wing government. I'm sure you'd be burning up the board then.

[COLGATE4]

7. I very much doubt it would be any different.

[Bacchus39]

5. its my way for the highway n/t

s

[pitohui]

9. all indigenous don't belong to the same nation, they all hate each other

i really can't get involved in this as i plan to return and often and can't be involved in politics but to make a long story short evo is from a highland tribe/nation and a surprisingly high percentage of the people are from lowland tribes/nations that hate him

the german/spanish/white minority is so small you hardly ever see 'em or i don't...it's really tribe against tribe and we don't know the whole story

i don't know what to think and don't want to judge, at this point i think it's like the balkans in the 90s where to americans they all look alike but to them this is really something worth fighting about

they aren't killing/raping/bombing each other on the 90s balkan level or the ireland 1970s level, it's more a low level thing as opposed to a mass murder/let's bomb and rape each other thing as happened in europe but it is still sad

the country is really safe and most of the shit that happens is roads being peacefully blocked so if this is civil war it is actually a best case scenario...but still sad for what it says about human nature

[Bacchus39]

6. Defense minister quits in Bolivia highway dispute

RURRENABAQUE, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivia's defense minister has resigned in protest over a crackdown in Indians protesting an Amazon highway they say will cause damage to their lands.

Celicia Chacon says she did not agree with the government decision to break up a march against the highway project and detain hundreds of protesters.

About 100 protesters seized the landing strip in the town of Rurrenabaque on Monday to prevent police from using it to fly detainees out of the area.

The protest poses a dilemma for President Evo Morales. While he sympathizes with Indian causes, he says the 190-mile (300-kilometer) highway is essential for Bolivia's economy. It is to connect Brazil with Pacific ports in Chile and Peru.


http://news.yahoo.com/defense-minister-quits-bolivia-highway-dispute-141940474.html

[tama]

8. Imagine that!

Minister resigns to take side with the protestors. And there will be referendum about the road.