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Bolivian President
Renews Call For Dialogue
With Opposition
Governors
South American Leaders
To Hold Emergency
Meeting On Bolivia
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Bolivian President
Renews Call For Dialogue
With Opposition
Governors
LIMA - Bolivian
President Evo Morales on
Friday renewed call for
dialogue with the
opposition governors to
end the crisis in the
country.
According to information
reaching here from La
Paz, administrative
capital of Bolivia,
Morales requested a
dialogue without
conditions to stop
violence and plundering
in the region of the so
called "Half Moon"
formed by departments
under opposition
governors.
"At this moment the
Presidency Ministry has
sent letters to the
governors to meet on
Friday at 18:00 local
time (2300 GMT) to begin
the dialogue," Morales
said.
The president said he is
ready for dialogue not
only with the governors
but with the mayors,
various sectors of the
society, civic
organizations, unions
and mediators.
Let "the civic and
social organizations and
the mediator
institutions be our best
judge to know who is
wrong," Morales said.
Morales regretted that
the governors only "play
lip service with the
words of dialogue,
without taking any
actions."
He urged the governors
to understand "deep
transformations in
democracy," saying "it
is possible to
understand and unite us
to better serve the
people."
Before the Aug. 10
referendum, Morales
said, the now revoked
governor of Cochabamba
stirred violence and
confrontations. But with
his power deprived by
the people, there is
peace and tranquility in
Cochabamba.
During the past few
weeks, violence has
increased in the
opposition-controlled
provinces of Santa Cruz,
Tarija, Beni and Pando.
The opposition governors
and civic committees
have been fighting
against Morales'
government and his
sympathizers, provoking
clashes, vandalism and
plundering. The
assailants also attacked
a gas station, causing a
drop of gas supply to
Argentina and Brazil. At
least eight civilians in
Pando have been killed.
The opposition rightists
demanded full
restitution of the
Direct Tax on
Hydrocarbons (IDH),
which Morales reduced 30
percent to found the
so-called Rent of
Dignity, which is aimed
at helping people over
60 years old who do not
have a pension.
The opposition is also
against the holding of
the Aug. 10 referendum,
which was called by
Morales to beat
opposition governors who
are defying his reforms
and asking for autonomy.
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