Has it begun?

06.02.2005

Technorati tag:

Today's El Deber has a story of what could be more to come. A march by MAS & MST sympathizers en route to the city of Santa Cruz, battled members of the Unión Juvenil Cruceñista (UJC). Both sides claim the other started, and that they themselves were quite "pacific". The skirmish, which left at least six people injured by the time the police arrived, took place on the Quinto Anillo, along the La Guardia road.

The event parallels the last day of Goni's presidency — when the first MAS-led march into the capital of the "media luna" was met by UJC and Nación Camba muscle, and brutally beaten. Then, fearing an outright civil war (and hoping to avoid it), Goni resigned. What will Mesa do?

The president of the UJC (a group of militant cruceño regionalists), Jorge Holberg, later stated that the UJC wouldn't allow MAS or others to bring the kind of chaos reigning in La Paz to Santa Cruz, nor would it allow them to "take away our lands". It does seem clear, however, that the UJC is organized, and prepared for future confrontations.

Has it started?

-----
UPDATE: The policy mutiny in La Paz is now confirmed. Notice that this story includes a picture showing a police officer coordinating w/ COB leaders. Why are the police upset? Oh, because Mesa pointed out (in a speech to military officers) that the military was loyal, and quelled a substantial police mutiny in February 2003 — a mutiny that was actually a brief coup, since police special forces attacked the presidential palace, only to be thrown back by the army.

It's also now also clear that, in La Paz, the police retain little control over anything much beyond Plaza Murillo. Here's a picture (from La Razón) showing all the highways cut by protesters — notice what part of the country they're all located in.

Also, Mesa's government rejected a possible OAS (Organization of American States) intervention. Meaning, an intervention is extremely possible. Only positive sign is that legislators agreed to work on a consensus plan, and to initiate (yet again) another one of those "national dialogues" that meet, make platitudes, raise expectations, and accomplish nothing.

Posted by Miguel at 01:38 PM

Comments

The UJC has a history of aggressively "preventing" marches. Most marches are peaceful, yet disruptive and inconvenient. However, the UJC's defense sounds like "his head got in the way of my fist" type of statement.

The UJC is a dangerous type of regionalistic "paramilitary" that is paid by God knows who. However, you find this type of class confrontation even in La Paz, where people are tired of the marches and protests. It is a lot easier to answer back when both sides are armed.

Posted by: eduardo at June 2, 2005 02:45 PM

Santa Cruz should allow them in, give them candy and open up their homes to them. Be Christ-like and shame them into the awareness of how asanine their antics are.

As to the organization mentioned, I don't know much about them but they sound like thugs. If anyone should be stopping anyone, it should be the state, not roaming gangs of vigilantes. It's this confrontation that the marxists want. Inciting unrest is so old school. The best way to fight it is to be resolved to pacificity. There may be a time to fight in the future, but it is not now, not over a small band of misguided indians who are being manipulated.

Posted by: j.scott barnard at June 2, 2005 04:06 PM

I agree. The UJC is a bunch of thugs. But what's scary is that the lack of any kind of state authority to restore order has led people to more willingly accept such tactics. If the state doesn't protect property, who will? If the state doesn't protect against vandalism, who will? That's what many are asking themselves.

But, yes, these pseudo-Marxists want exactly that kind of confrontation. I just hope they don't get it, because I really don't think they'll like the outcome (lots of death, a brutal civil war, and secession by the richest regions).

Posted by: Miguel [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 2, 2005 04:17 PM

Yes, the absense of any kind of "monopoly of power" from the part of government is starting to show its ugly face.

It's getting really tense.

Posted by: Miguel (MABB) at June 2, 2005 04:58 PM