October 25, 2024, 9:44 PM
October 25, 2024, 9:44 PM
While the farmers of Parotani celebrated their “victory” over the police forces, the Minister of Government, Eduardo Del Castillo, stated that the Operation “Recovering the Homeland” was a success and mobilized 1,700 police officers from five departments and led to the arrest of 44 farmers, who will be accused of seven crimes.
“JanThis great operation that we have deployed today (10/25/2024) has mobilized more than 1,700 police officers, both from the department from La Paz, from Oruro, from Cochabamba, from Chuquisaca and so also from the department of Holy Cross. We have mobilized more than 113 vehicles nationwide, including trucks, buses, heavy machinery, among others,” the minister explained in a press conference.
Since the early hours of this Friday the Police moved to the exit of Cochabamba towards the west –Oruro and La Paz- to unlock the road that was closed in Vinto and Parotani; However, the minister spoke of 12 unlocked points, although he did not mention where those places were located.
The minister indicated that there were 2,400 vehicles that were able to circulate and that of that number, 60 were tankers that were on the routes and that managed to mobilize, which is why he described the plan as successful and gave the title of heroes to the police officers who intervened.
However, this Friday morning, the Bolivian Highway Administrator (ABC) reported 20 blockade points, 17 of them in Cochabamba. At 9:30 p.m. the number of blockades was 18 in the country, 15 in Cochabamba. Which means that two points in the department were deactivated.
“These people have been caught in flagrante delicto committing a series of crimes, they are going to be investigated for: attacks against transport security; second, prevent or hinder the exercise of functions; third, serious and very serious injuries; attempted murder, criminal association, terrorism and so too armed uprisings“, the minister said later and reported that, as Government Minister, he will seek an exemplary sanction in the shortest possible time.
He also attacked the Ombudsman who said that he is waiting to confirm the death of a person, in the events of this Friday, a death that would have been caused by the excess gas released by the police.
“When an authority goes out to the media, they must have each and every one of the elements corroborated.” before telling alleged gossip to the Bolivian people. Instead of asking that chemical agents not be used, he (defendant) should be asking these armed groups to allow free movement to all the Bolivian people,” the minister snapped.
On the other hand, Del Castillo accused the blockers to be the same ones who were starting the fires in the east of the country and said that in 12 days of his measure, the fires and reports of fires disappeared. He did not hesitate to call the blockers “criminals.”
