Under siege
10.11.2003So this is what a siege feels like. For weeks, La Paz was under siege. The roads out of the capital were blocked (all five of them); there was no way out by land (keep in mind the city's inside a series of mountain ravines). But no one seemed to care.
La Paz is a city of more than one million people, there's plenty to do. Sure, you can't go for a holiday to Coroico or Yungas, but no big deal. The only people seriously affected were the few who needed to travel. Even so, the airport's always open.
The protesters marched every day at noon, their number diminishing w/ every day this past week. Yesterday, they barely managed to block traffic downtown for fifteen minutes. Life was going back to normal.
But as the number of protesters diminished, they radicalized their means of pressure. El Alto has been paralyzed four days now (people go to work on foot or bicycle). Only the road to the airport was passable. A few miners from Oruro marched to La Paz, throwing dinamite (one woman was seriously injured).
And as of last night there's no gasoline. The entire city's grinding to a halt. I rode down to San Miguel in one of the few minibuses still on the road, it's tank was less than a quarter full. I don't know if I'll be able to get back to my apartment tonight, or anytime soon. At least I'll be w/ family.
The COB threatens to cut off the city's water and electricity next. I don't think the government'll let things go that far. The public's now in an outcry; they want the government to do something, anything. The siege must be lifted. The COB and Mallku don't want to negotiate w/ the government; they don't want to even talk.
But the siege must be lifted. And soon. What will the government do? What will it cost?
Posted by Miguel at 12:35 PM