eyewitness: attacks in Cochabamba

IN Cochabamba the peaceful march of the social movements in their demand for the Prefect to resign has now turned into outright war. Many claim the government is responsible for the mobilisation of the social grassroots movements and union workers here. All television and radio programmes are calling on the government to control their mob. I witnessed the most brutal attack on peaceful protestors yesterday in El Prado, Cochabamba's main drag. The counter-marchers, the white, rich boys and girls armed with iron bars, pistols, bars with barbed wire at the ends, and knives broke through a police barricade and attacked the opposition. A 40 year old man was shot dead with 2 bullets in the chest. Over 90 people casualties and many seriously injured in hospital. The pro-Prefect group were screaming, ''go back to your fields Indios''. It is clear this group of people are racists only out to support their own interests, i.e. to protect their middleclass safe comfortable lifestyles. They live in another area of town and do not see or wish not to see the poverty others experience in other areas of Cochabamba. Poverty that is created by corrupt leaders like Manfred Reyes Villa.

A group from Santa Cruz also came to assist in the battle and it seems that they are leading the Civic Committee and advising them on how to get rid of the 'savages' as they call the indigenous population. Santa Cruz is one of the Departments in the Media Luna, one of 4 other Departments who are claiming autonomy from the government of Bolivia. The Prefect Manfred was on his mission to bring autonomy to Cochabamba also and that's where it all started.

Yesterday around 4pm, they brought the dead body into the square and called on the Media and television people to film it and show what Manfred's mob had done to the people of Bolivia. People screamed 'assassin, assassin, murderer'. People were crying and screaming in despair at this point. The Civic Committee marchers were approaching the main plaza and nobody was armed. People with their sticks fled to the 4 corners of the square. They burnt tyres to deter the armed middle classes with smoke.

A few blocks outside the Plaza de Septiembre, the police were firing tear gas in order to allow the pro-Prefect group to pass and attack. Nobody was defending the campesinos, the indigenous, the union workers, the students and other people from Cochabamba who were not armed, and not out to attack. Throughout the day the police seemed to be defending one side. It was shocking to see this happening. I went with a friend to the human rights office and we got a pass to enter the area where the confrontations had occurred to see if there were any injured people we could help.
Viviana is a doctor so I accompanied her. We went right down to the meeting point of the rich folk and to hear their discourse was utterly shocking. They do not seem to appreciate the indigenous cultures in Bolivia, 'indian savages, must leave', they roared. They plan today to meet and burn the offices of the MAS, Evo Morales political party. We quickly returned to the Plaza de Septiembre and many injured people were arriving there. Men, women, pregnant women, children all beaten brutally and shot at by the 'civilised' Cochabambinos and Cambas (those from Santa Cruz).

I am calling on everyone who reads this to spread the word and contact radio stations, newspapers, Amnesty International and other human rights organistions you may have a contact with to send out an Urgent Action.

The people of the Department have been calling for justice, demanding that their Prefect resigns because he is not fulfilling his duties as governor of the Department of Cochabamba. 2 people were brutally murdered yesterday. How many more will die today?
My contact number is 00591 76442016.