- Title: Clashes in Bolivia as striking health workers face off against riot police
- Date: 22nd February 2021
- Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (FEBRUARY 22, 2021) (REUTERS) STRIKING BOLIVIAN HEALTHCARE WORKERS ATTACKING LINE OF RIOT POLICE, HITTING THEM WITH STICKS/POLICE SPRAYING HEALTHCARE WORKERS WITH MACE SPRAY PROTESTER PICKS UP TEAR GAS CANISTER AND THROWS IT BACK AT POLICE VARIOUS OF CLASHES BETWEEN POLICE AND STRIKING HEALTHCARE WORKERS POLICE WALKING AND FIRING TEAR GAS AT PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF CLASHES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FERNANDO ROMERO, HEALTH UNION SPOKESPERSON, SAYING: "Today we denounce it in front of the whole country. This harsh situation is beginning in Bolivia, this indolent situation that can generate emergencies and deaths. We demand President Luis Arce Catacora, stop damaging, stop persecuting, stop violating justice and the political constitution of the state. End all of these irregularities, otherwise, the path that the country is going to take will be very tragic and painful for everyone." MORE OF CLASHES BETWEEN POLICE AND STRIKING HEALTHCARE WORKERS MOTORCYCLES ON GROUND VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CLASHING WITH POLICE WOMAN CARRYING BOLIVIAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JOSE LUIS ALVAREZ, LEADER OF THE TEACHERS, SAYS: "It is a struggle of all social organizations for the right to have our trade union organization totally independent from the state and against this first attempt to silence and penalize the right to social protest. The fascist features of MAS (Movement towards Socialism) have again revealed themselves as they did when they tried to approve the penal code, but also under the title of the Sanitary Emergency Law, they opened an umbrella so that they can steal and can buy things over-priced for confidentiality." LARGE BANNER AT FRONT OF PROTEST CARRYING IMAGE OF A COCA LEAF AND THE SLOGAN "ANDEPCOCA" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING
- Embargoed: 8th March 2021 20:37
- Keywords: Bolivia clashes coronavirus doctors health workers
- Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- City: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: Health/Medicine,South America / Central America
- Reuters ID: LVA001E0Q85L3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Striking Bolivian health workers clashed violently with police on Monday (February 22) as they marched through the capital, La Paz, to demand the repeal of the Andean country's controversial Health Emergency Law, promulgated last week by President Luis Arce.
The decree, signed into law by Arce on February 17, has angered health workers and doctors' unions because it bans them from striking during the coronavirus pandemic emergency period, and permits the hiring of foreign medical personnel.
"Today we denounce it in front of the whole country. This harsh situation is beginning in Bolivia, this indolent situation that can generate emergencies and deaths. We demand President Luis Arce Catacora, stop damaging, stop persecuting, stop violating justice and the political constitution of the state," said Fernando Romero, a health union spokesperson.
"End all of these irregularities, otherwise the path that the country is going to take will be very tragic and painful for everyone," he added.
Bolivian healthcare workers began striking on Friday (February 19), demanding the emergency law be repealed, claiming it is unconstitutional and restricts the right to protest.
Health workers said that during the national strike they will not suspend care for COVID-19 patients and emergency services.
Protests by doctors and nurses are being carried out across the country amid a second wave of coronavirus cases that has pummelled its ailing healthcare system, pushing many hospitals to the brink of collapse.
Bolivia has reported 242,292 infections and 11,441 deaths from COVID-19 since the outbreak began.
(Production: Santiago Limachi, Monica Machicao, Omar Younis) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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