Bolivian president calls for dialogue to resolve conflicts
Bolivia's President Evo Morales called on Bolivians on Friday to resolve conflicts through dialogue after two people died in clashes related to the dispute regarding autonomy of the central region of Cochabamba.

"I have information that poor people, the people of the countryside, are mobilized. Country people are never vengeful," Morales said in La Paz, according to reports reaching here.

"One must insist on the path of dialogue," Morales said, one day after demonstrations escalated to conflicts triggered by local governor Manfred Reyes' decision to hold a referendum on the region's autonomy.

Protesters against regional autonomy clashed with Reyes' supporters, which killed two people and wounded over 100 others.

Meanwhile, thousands of Bolivians packed Cochabamba's central Sept. 14 Square on Friday, demanding Reyes' resignation and blaming him for the two deaths.

The protesters were mainly from groups of coca producers, workers, farmers and teachers.

Leaders of the groups said they would not negotiate on Reyes' resignation and would continue with their demonstration as long as the governor remained in office. The remarks were met by chants of "murderer" from the demonstrators when Reyes' name was mentioned.

Federico Pinaya, a teachers' group leader, accused Reyes and other governors of the so-called Half Moon departments (including Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija) of unnecessary confrontations in order to maintain their privileged positions.

Reyes is currently in La Paz, the country's administrative capital, asking the central government to deliver security.

The central government, which opposed Reyes' referendum decision, has dispatched forces to Cochabamba to maintain security.

Morales called on the groups to persuade their people to respect human lives and seek democratic solutions. In the meantime, he also expressed hope that "regional authorities can improve their conduct to avoid more clashes."