BOLIVIA: Evo Morales and eight opposition governors kick off dialogue in hopes of ending a political crisis that erupted in violence

Record ID: 574846

  • Title: BOLIVIA: Evo Morales and eight opposition governors kick off dialogue in hopes of ending a political crisis that erupted in violence
  • Date: 19th September 2008
  • Summary: COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2008) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF PARTICIPANTS OF MEETING BEFORE THE START GENERAL VIEW OF PRESIDENT EVO MORALES PRESIDING OVER THE START OF THE MEETING, SITTING WITH VICE PRESIDENT ALVARO GARCIA LINERA AND FINANCE MINISTER LUIS ARCE OPPOSITION GOVERNORS ERNESTO SUAREZ OF BENI, COSSIO, COSTAS AND CUELLAR MORALES OBSERVERS GENERAL VIEW OF MEETING COSSIO AND COSTAS GENERAL VIEW OF OBSERVERS FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ON SCREEN, CARDINAL JULIO TERRAZA, EDMUNDO ABASTOFLOR AND JESUS JUAREZ GENERAL VIEW OF MORALES, LINERA, AND ARCE
  • Embargoed: 4th October 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5OZYYDFS1EYONDI1M25A7PAJ1
  • Story Text: Bolivia's President Evo Morales and eight of the nine regional prefects initiated on Thursday (September 18) a dialogue in hopes of ending a long-standing political crisis that erupted in violence last week.
    The meeting started in a hotel just outside Cochabamba while most of the country returned to normality following violent protests that left 17 dead.

    "There is a desire to turn this into an opportunity to construct a national agreement that Bolivia needs and Bolivians want in order to return peace to our people and give certainty to Bolivia," Tarija opposition governor Mario Cossio said ahead of the meeting.
    There was no immediate information regarding the topics that would be discussed in the meeting, however, Morales said earlier the meeting would continue without interruption in order to reach an agreement within 30 days.
    Economic powerhouse Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija led three weeks of protests that included violent occupations of public buildings, highway blockades and often bloody clashes with Morales supporters.
    The wealthy, eastern provinces strongly oppose a new constitution that aims to redistribute wealth and give more power to the country's indigenous majority population. The opposition is demanding a larger portion of natural gas revenues and more autonomy from the central government.
    Noticeably absent from the meeting was Pando Prefect Leopoldo Fernandez who was taken into custody on Tuesday by the army on charges of defying martial law and ordering the massacre of 15 peasant farmers.
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