Sucre Riots

Last year the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, started the process of creating a new constitution, which is to recognise the rights of the indigenous population. The consequences are tremendous and the opposition is fierce. Many fear that Morales is about to turn Bolivia into a communist state, in which the Bolivian flag will be replaced by the indigenous flag and people will lose all private property to the state. In Sucre the opposition concentrated on the right to reopen the issue of capital status, which is at the moment shared between La Paz and Sucre. For many weeks the inhabitants of Sucre participated in vigils and marches to bring the issue to the fore. The University played a key role and declared that students who did not take part would lose their right to sit exams, whereas members of staff were at peril of losing a months´ salary or even their job. Two weeks ago (23.11.07) the crisis escalated. The campesinos (the rural population) marched on Sucre to demand that constitutional reforms were no longer delayed by the discussions on capital status. It was said that the campesinos were about to block all routes into Sucre and that water supplies would also be cut off. The police who were placed in charge of protecting the members of the constitutional reform committee and campesinos came under attack. Three people died in the riots that followed, the police station was burned and looted, and eventually all police officers were forced to retreat to Potosi. Prisoners were set free and for a week the city was without police. For three days living in Sucre was a frightening experience. For much of the time we were locked in our house, while the streets were filled with teargas. Angry mobs went around day and night chanting, shouting and blocking the roads with flaming car tyres. After the retreat of the police the town calmed down and things went back to normal. New talks on the constitution have now been opened. The photo above was taken from our balcony during the riots.