Bolivian Police Fire Tear Gas at Miners in La Paz as Dynamite Protests Enter Week 2
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 15
Bolivian Police Fire Tear Gas at Miners in La Paz as Dynamite Protests Enter Week 2
8 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 15
Thousands of miners clashed with police in La Paz on Thursday after trying to breach the government palace, setting off small dynamite charges as officers fired tear gas.
The miners demanded labor reforms and fuel, and as the standoff dragged on they escalated to chants for President Rodrigo Paz to resign.
Blockades and marches have already paralyzed the capital, with rural schoolteachers also rallying for higher wages and adding pressure on the city center.
The unrest began with farmers opposing a land-mortgaging law, but protests kept spreading even after Paz annulled the measure Wednesday night, widening a challenge to his young administration.
With dynamite on the streets and a global energy crisis, is Bolivia's new government already on the brink of collapse?
Is this a genuine uprising against economic hardship, or is former leader Evo Morales orchestrating a return to power?