Bolivia: Opposition lifts strike after repeal of anti-money laundering law

RIO DE JANEIRO BRAZIL – Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee chairman and one of the strike’s main promoters Rómulo Calvo announced the suspension of the strike but warned that “the struggle must continue.”

Activities progressively returned to normal in Bolivia after opposition sectors, traders and transport operators lifted a strike that lasted 9 days until the repeal of a controversial anti-money laundering law.

The same decision was taken by the Potosí department civic groups, the other epicenter of protests which the Luis Arce government described as a new coup attempt.

EMERGENCY AND FOURTH RECESS

Eastern Santa Cruz, the Bolivian region that led the mobilizations against the repealed National Strategy Law against the Legitimization of Illegal Profits and the Financing of Terrorism, decided to lift the pressure although it claims to remain in a state of emergency. “We have achieved this victory of the people, but it is only a battle, the struggle must continue,” Rómulo Calvo said in a press conference.

“We are lifting the indefinite strike as of this moment and we declare ourselves in emergency and permanent mobilization,” Calvo announced before insisting that the administration of Luis Arce “has been defeated” because “they have not been able to break a people who bravely defended their rights with determination and conviction.”

The decision to suspend the strike was not welcomed by certain sectors and on Tuesday night, groups identified with the Unión Juvenil Cruceñista (UJC) surrounded the building that houses the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee to demand Calvo’s resignation, whom they called a “traitor.”

For its part, the Bolivian Episcopal Conference (CEB) called upon the authorities to avoid conflict and enter into a “sincere, clean and constructive dialogue on a national agenda” because the opening towards an “autocratic State” is at risk if bills and laws of “dubious constitutionality” are passed.

Traffic in Santa Cruz streets and economic activity were reestablished on Wednesday after the strike was lifted. Meanwhile, the Potosí civic groups, the other main focus of the protests, declared a fourth recess in their mobilizations until the end of the year. A farmer died in Potosí as a consequence of the clashes between civic and MAS followers.

Despite the repeal of law 1386, some sectors in La Paz, such as the Assembly of Paceñidad, announced that a large march will be held in favor of the reinstatement of the 2/3 in legislative votes and the repeal of several other laws. On the other hand, pro-government social organizations also called for town meetings and marches in cities such as El Alto, Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca in support of Arce’s administration.

LOSS ASSESSMENT AND NEW BILL

“We assessed the losses caused by the strike in some cities, and analyzed measures to reverse them,” wrote on Twitter president Luis Arce, in a post in which he attached photographs of the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

For his part, ex-president Evo Morales assured: “Every day, with effort and dignity, the working people defeat the coup attempts of racist and right-wing civic groups that with violent strikes undermine Bolivia’s economy.”

On Tuesday night, the Bolivian government promulgated the regulation repealing Law 1386 and published it in the Official Gazette, one of the requirements demanded by the mobilized sectors to lift the strike.

Some critical voices within the ruling party conceded that a “socialization” lacked by the government and cabinet ministries before passing a law that the opposition considered to be a violation of citizens’ freedoms. In this respect, the Bolivian government assured that it will work in a new law against the regularization of illegal profits in collaboration with the pertinent sectors, the draft of which it expects by December.