Approval of highway through Bolivian national park stirs resentment among indigenous groups

Record ID: 905993

  • Title: Approval of highway through Bolivian national park stirs resentment among indigenous groups
  • Date: 10th August 2017
  • Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (AUGUST 10, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** REPRESENTATIVES OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES FROM THE TIPNIS NATIONAL PARK AT NEWS CONFERENCE CHANTING "DON'T TOUCH TIPNIS" PERSON WEARING JACKET THAT READS "DON'T TOUCH TIPNIS" INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATIVES CHANTING AND CLAPPING WOMAN HOLDING CARICATURE OF BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES WITH A ROAD COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE MOXENHOS ETHNIC GROUPS OF BENI CENTER, ADHEMAR MOLE, SAYING: "And, unfortunately what's happening in Venezuela is fruit of the trust that people had in a process that was called transformation or revolution, where unfortunately, today this hasn't happened, where you have to steal to eat." PRESIDENT OF THE MOXENHOS ETHNIC GROUPS OF BENI CENTER, ADHEMAR MOLE, SHOWING A MAP OF THE TIPNIS NATIONAL PARK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE MOXENHOS ETHNIC GROUPS OF BENI CENTER, ADHEMAR MOLE, SAYING: "Bolivians are different than Venezuelans. I don't think that Bolivia will ever allow Evo Morales to convert Bolivia into Venezuela, where you have to go to the market to buy your food according to (government) planning. We have enough to eat by ourselves in the indigenous territories, that's why the indigenous territories are fighting, to conserve our own food, we don't need to go to the market because we produce everything we eat there." CLOSE UP OF MAP OF TIPNIS NATIONAL PARK REPRESENTATIVES OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES FROM THE TIPNIS STANDING FOR PHOTOS AND HOLDING MAP EXTERIOR OF THE BOLIVIAN PERMANENT ASSEMBLY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS SIGN OVER THE ENTRANCE OF THE BOLIVIAN PERMANENT ASSEMBLY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
  • Embargoed: 24th August 2017 23:41
  • Keywords: Bolivia TIPNIS national park Evo Morales indigenous highway construction amazon
  • Location: LA PAZ, TIPNIS NATIONAL PARK AND ISINUTA, BOLIVIA
  • City: LA PAZ, TIPNIS NATIONAL PARK AND ISINUTA, BOLIVIA
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Topics: Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016TKRDC3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Indigenous groups held a news conference on Thursday (August 10) to protest the Bolivian government's approval of a law to remove protections from a national park in order to build a highway through it. The groups from the Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro Secure (known by its Spanish acronym of TIPNIS) also called for respect for democracy in Bolivia and respect for a constitutional referendum that prevents Bolivian President Evo Morales from running for a fourth consecutive term.
    The proposed highway has been at the heart of Bolivian President Evo Morales' drive to boost infrastructure investment in the impoverished nation. Political opposition figures and environmental groups claim the Morales government wants to use the highway to open new lands to coca cultivation and has been in discussions with Chinese construction companies that have expressed interest in projects in the region.
    On Wednesday (August 9), a group of indigenous groups and legislators from the state of Cochabamba attempted to enter an area of the TIPNIS national park to check on suspected construction work within protected areas of the park, but were blocked by groups of coca growers.
    Meanwhile, a Bolivian newspaper published an interview with the U.S. Embassy's Charge d'Affaires, Peter Brennan who noted U.S. concern for Bolivia's support for Venezuela and stated, "I hope Bolivia never turns into Venezuela." The comments by the U.S. diplomat provoked a reaction from the Bolivian Minster of the Presidency, Rene Martinez, who defended Venezuela and lambasted local media and opposition politicians for amplifying the comments.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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