Government repeats Adepcoca case and now faces possible roadblocks in 20 provinces

The government of President Luis Arce repeated this Monday the same mistake that it made with the leadership of Adepcoca by promoting a parallel leadership, this time in the federation of peasants of the 20 provinces of La Paz called ‘Tupac Katari’, from whom it took its headquarters with the Police to entrench its supporters led by Javier Alejo. The executive now faces a road blockade announced by the group that follows leader David Mamani who was elected in June of this year.

“Now more than ever he has to leave, he should start packing his bags, we as authorities of the departmental executive committee are going to call for a large departmental and national meeting on Saturday of this month to determine measures, drastic actions, which is the blocking of roads“, said the top leader of the La Paz peasants, David Mamani.

On Monday, the police set up barriers, fences and deployed half a thousand police officers to prevent Mamani from taking over the offices of the federation located in the San Pedro area of ​​La Paz. Police repression prevented the peasants from passing. The mob had already overtaken the UTOP police and entered Bartolina Sisa Street where the federation is located; but the police regained control and unleashed a brutal counterattack that left at least a dozen wounded among the peasants.

Rubber pellets that They tore off part of the ear of one of the peasant women; head injuries to an elderly peasant; injury to the right arm of another, people fainted nearby due to the use of gas, the Police deployed all their repressive force to drive away the peasants sympathetic to David Mamani and keep Alejo in those offices.

Now, The authorities will go down to the communities to recount what happened in La Paz on Monday and will take the conclusions of the people to the meeting that Mamani is calling for this weekend.

Since 2017, Evo Morales has divided the coca growers of Los Yungas and formed its own leadership, this division lasted until the Arce government that recognized the parallel that the MAS itself encouraged. The government encouraged the leadership of Arnold Alanez and persecuted the organic leaders.

In October 2021 A massive coca growers’ protest took back their market after being evicted by the very government that Alanez’s leadership encouraged and promoted. After being evicted, the coca growers who were close to Arce arranged for another market and opened one on 1st Street in the Villa El Carmen area. A year after the retaking of Adepcoca, in September 2022 The coca growers tried to close the Alanez market, and the events of that day served to persecute the coca leaders. Two years after that episode, the Bolivian State was denounced before international courts for violating human rights.

This Monday another similar chapter beganthis time with the peasants of the highlands grouped around the federation of 20 provinces. With the difference that they now have the means to block the Government.