Yolanda Mamani Cayo / La Paz
Yesterday, President Luis Arce and nine mayors of different political tendencies drew up an unprecedented route for dialogue. They agreed to create three working groups with the ministries of Planning, Economy and Health. The president met with mayors of eight capital cities plus El Alto.
At the meeting, which lasted more than four hours in the Casa Grande del Pueblo, the mayors of La Paz, Iván Arias; from Santa Cruz, Jhonny Fernández; from Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa; from Oruro, Adhemar Wilcarani; from Tarija, Johnny Torres; from Sucre, Enrique Leaño; from Trinidad, Cristhian Cámara; from Pando, Mayor María Lucía Reis; and from El Alto, Eva Copa.
In the case of the mayor of Potosí, Jhonny Llally, the authority was not present because it is in Colombia. He sent a representative to the meeting, however, that person could not enter, since “only incumbent mayors could attend,” they informed Página Siete from Potosí.
Arce was accompanied by the Ministers of Health, Jeyson Auza, and of Planning, Gabriela Mendoza, as well as the Vice Minister of Autonomy, Álvaro Ruiz.
Agreement
In the meeting between the Head of State and the mayors, the formation of three working groups with three ministries was agreed.
“It has been defined that three work tables will be created, where the FAM (Federation of Municipal Associations) Bolivia, the AMB (Association of Bolivian Municipalities) and Acobol (Association of Bolivian Councilors) will be present,” he reported. Vice Minister Ruiz.
At table one, they will work with the Ministry of Health, at table two, with the Ministry of the Economy and, at table three, with the Ministry of Planning. The authority explained that each of the tables will have representatives from those organizations.
The agreement arose because the meeting touched on issues that go beyond Law 1407 of the Economic and Social Development Plan. Issues related to the fight against the coronavirus, access to credits and even the issuance of bonds were addressed.
“The Government has shown all the willingness to support them in obtaining loans, internal credit, accompanying those municipalities that have the capacity to do so in the issuance of bonds. Our President has also expressed his concern on the health issue, that if the departmental headquarters do not attend in a timely manner, there will be direct coordination with the mayors of the capital cities, who have demonstrated that they have the necessary logistics to support this mass vaccination process. Ruiz said.
The authority assured that, from that meeting, the central government will coordinate more closely with the authorities of the capital cities to deal especially with two points: the economic reactivation and the fight against the coronavirus.
Mayors
Johnny Torres, president of the AMB and mayor of Tarija, affirmed that after the meeting with the Head of State, the work tables will be set up.
“What we need most is certainty. We have spoken very sincerely, we have come to consider all problems basically down to the bone and we consider that the culture of dialogue is the one that should prevail at all times, ”said Torres.
Although none of the parties specified a date for the establishment of the tables, the president of the AMB reported that each of the mayors of the capital cities will define their representatives.
Mayor Fernández, of Santa Cruz, reported that on the subject of Law 1407, in addition to analyzing its articles, it was made clear that municipal governments “never” are going to negotiate the powers they have within the framework of their autonomies and It also agreed that any bill that affects mayors must be drafted by consensus.
“Another thing that we have remained is that any regulation that is born from the Executive Branch has to be agreed with the municipal governments if it affects them. It cannot be that they impose them and then we obey. That they do not give us more powers if there are no economic resources, that is another issue that we agreed upon, ”he stressed.
On November 18, the mayors of the capital cities and El Alto met and declared a state of emergency in light of the enactment of Law 1407 on the Economic and Social Development Plan.
Yesterday, Vice Minister Ruiz said that it was established that Law 1407 does not affect the autonomies. “It is through dialogue that the observations, the doubts that they may have had, are resolved. Law 1407 does not violate the autonomies. Furthermore, the level of coordination and concordance that we have to have with the sub-national levels is very important, ”he said.
