Intransigence in a failed dialogue

The day the indefinite strike began in Santa Cruz in compliance with the mandate of the constitutional mechanism of the council, the Government opened to dialogue with the Inter-institutional Committee in the same city that was detained and when the streets, avenues, roundabouts and highways were already deserted, but too soon came a resounding failure.

In the live broadcast of the meetings between the Government and the Interinstitutional Committee, it was noted that one of the parties pretended to dialogue with an apparent openness, but although it listened to the other, deep down it had no political will to change anything.

That was demonstrated by the Government represented there by Minister María Nela Prada, spokesman Jorge Richter and others, who seemed to try to involve the Santa Cruz representatives with the argument of technical feasibility in choosing the date of the Census.

However, behind the cumbersome and repetitive explanations of Minister Prada, one certainty became absolutely clear: the Government does not want a Census in 2023. It never spoke of the possibility of repealing the questioned decree and only considered the option of making a ‘complementary norm’ , but always preserving the original meaning of the decree that determines the Census for the year 2024.

He even devised a proposal for the Census to be carried out in April 2024 and that in October of that year, that is, six months later, a redistribution of resources be applied according to the results, with the idea of ​​convincing the region today mobilized with an indefinite protest.

The same Government that used to say that the first results would be known no sooner than a year after the Census was carried out for technical reasons, now admits that six months later they may not only have results, but even apply changes in the distribution of resources according to the data. that throws the great survey.

At the meeting, the person in charge of formulating the Santa Cruz proposal was the constitutionalist José Luis Santistevan, who with legal arguments proposed a decree that, without indicating dates, established the year 2023 for the Census. The technical tables would work with that mandate.

But Prada rejected the proposal immediately, not even having the sense to say that it would be studied. Governor Luis Fernando Camacho immediately argued that what the government authorities were doing was disrespectful to the region and he decided to withdraw from the meeting. The civic representative Stello Cochamanidis also withdrew and then the rector of the University, Vicente Cuéllar.

The meeting came to shouts and made it clear that the government had no intention of listening to the region, despite the fact that, at the extreme of absurdity, spokesman Richter approached his words to the height of cynicism when he said ‘We are respecting the mandate of your council (the Cruceños)’.

Minister Prada showed that she had few conditions to lead a dialogue in which she acted as judge and party. When it was all over, she called Camacho and Cochamanidis ‘spoiled children’ and told them that they would be responsible for the violence that would occur from now on. She didn’t explain the meaning of her expressions, but she seemed threatening.

Unfortunate ending. They created false expectations and played with the good faith of the people, the same one that is disciplinedly in the streets making peaceful blockades in demand of their citizen rights.