[stop-imf] ALERT: Bolivia: Olivera arrested, 100 others detained (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

>From Soren Ambrose, 50 Years is Enough Network:

Oscar Olivera is one of the leaders of the movement that succeeded in
stopping privatization of the water supply in Cochabamba, Bolivia -- a
privatization that was urged by the World Bank.  Shortly after the
achievement of their first victory, Olivera managed to leave Cochabamba to
come to Washington for the April 2000 demonstrations at the semi-annual
meetings of the IMF and World Bank.

The struggle of the people of Cochabamba and much of Bolivia against the
neo-liberal policies of the government of Hugo Banzer has continued.  In
September another round of vigorous protests took place, targeting not just
the issue of water privatization but the submission by the Bolivian
government to the US government's draconian demands under the "war on drugs"
and a whole range of neo-liberal policies advocated by the IMF and World
Bank.

As you'll read below, the latest phase of the struggle has resulted in
Olivera's arrest by the Bolivian government during a march from Cochabamba
to La Paz (the capital).  About 100 of his fellow marchers have also been
detained, though at this point they haven't been charged.  Olivera has been
charged: with attempted murder and subversion.  For more details read the
three accounts below.

Note also that suggestions for letters advocating Olivera's release -- to
both the Bolivian government and, for those in the U.S., the U.S. embassy in
La Paz (plus the State Dept. and US representatives) -- appear in the alert.

- Soren Ambrose - 50 Years Is Enough Network - Washington, DC  USA

Coordinadora de Defensa del Agua y de la Vida
Coalition for the Defense of Water and Life
Cochabamba, Bolivia
* * * ACTION ALERT  * * *
OSCAR OLIVERA, LEADER IN THE STURGGLE AGAINST WORLD BANK-BECHTEL WATER
PRIVATIZATION, ILLEGALY DETAINED BY POLICE; WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN.
* * * YOUR FAXES NEEDED; SEE BELOW * * *
Close to 1,000 heavily armed members of Bolivian security forces dispersed
peaceful marchers with tear gas, beating them, and confiscated their
personal possessions around three p.m. today April 12.
Over 60 were illegally detained, and Minister of Government Guillermo Fortún
announced that there was one arrest: unionist Oscar Olivera, a key leader of
the movement to reverse water privatization by San Francisco-based Bechtel
Corporation in Cochabamba in April 2000.
The march to La Paz, called the "March for Life and the Sovereignty of Our
People",  left Cochabamba 9 April, to demand attention to a series of
demands, some of them unfilled promises from April of 2000.  Led by Olivera
and others, the march was made up of over 600 peasants, workers, coca
growers, and others, organized in a coalition called the Comunal.  Marchers
not detained have vowed to continue towards La Paz.
Today, the fourth day of the March, the Bolivian government violently
interrupted the march in the highland village of Pongo.  Facing tear
gassings and beatings, the marchers fled to the mountains, while some 60 to
70 others were detained.
At present (9:00pm) the whereabouts of the illegally detained marchers is
still unknown.
Father Luis Sanchez of the Cochabamba chapter of the Bolivian Permanent
Human Rights Assembly has denounced the government action as illegal,
insisting that it was an "illegal forced transport" and "illegal detention"
of marchers. He and other human rights observers are beginning to speak of
Olivera and other illegally detained marchers as "disappeared."
Minister of Government Guillermo Fortún claimed at 8:30pm tonight that the
only marcher arrested is Olivera, on charges of subversion and attempted
murder.  The subversion charge is for comments made by Olivera that he would
like to see President Banzer leave office before his term expires in 2002 -
a widely shared sentiment in Bolivia.
The attempted murder charge stems from an incident yesterday, 11 April, when
marchers happened upon plainclothes police monitoring the march.  Lying, the
police first identified themselves as journalists, then part of a human
rights delegation.  Their vacillation caused suspicion among the marchers,
and a scuffle ensued.
According to eyewitnesses from various local media, Olivera intervened to
put a stop to the scuffle.  Marchers seized weapons, cellular phones, and a
copy of Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler, which were turned over to human rights
observers.
Today, Minister Fortún characterized Olivera as responsible for the scuffle,
which is now being called a "massacre" of the police and "attempted murder."

At the time of this writing the whereabouts of Olivera are unknown. Minister
Fortún admits he is in government custody, but church leaders, human rights
workers and press in Cochabmaba have been stonewalled by police
and government officials, and Olivera has not been seen.
* * * ACTION REQUEST * * *
We are asking for letters and faxes to President Banzer of Bolivia, and
Minister of Government Guillermo Fortún.  EVEN IF OSCAR AND OTHER MARCHERS
ARE RELEASED, IT IS IMPERATIVE THIS REPRESSION NOT GO UNCHALLENGED.
Please adapted and send the following letter to the faxes noted below.
----------
Dear President Banzer:
I am writing to express my concern and outrage regarding the treatment of
the civilian marchers in the "March for Life and the Sovereignty of Our
People", illegally detained 12 April, and among them Mr. Oscar Olivera.
The manner in which they were detained and dispersed is both illegal and
unconscionable.  At present we understand that Mr. Olivera's and the marcher
's whereabouts are unknown.  We demand an immediate clarification, and
guarantees for the safety and human rights of all the marchers and Mr.
Olivera, and that Bolivian and international law be respected.  We demand
that all illegal detainees be immediately released.  We denounce the
obviously absurd charges against Mr. Olivera, contradicted by many press
eyewitnesses.  We expect such violations to cease immediately.  We will be
monitoring the situation closely.
Sincerely-
----------
Please send faxes to:
Presidente Hugo Banzer Suárez
Palacio de Gobierno
La Paz, Bolivia
Fax:  +591 2-391216
Min. de Gobierno Guillermo Fortún
Ministerio de Gobierno
Av. Arce No. 2409, esq. Belisario Salinas
La Paz, Bolivia
Fax: + 591 2-442589
=======================================================
Friends,
Oscar Olivera, recipient of last year's IPS Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights
Award <see http://www.ips-dc.org/lm-awards/index.htm has just been arrested
by the Bolivian government.   Please contact your representatives,
the State Department, the US embassy in La Paz
<http://www.megalink.com/usemblapaz/english/contact.htm and the Bolivian
Embassy in DC <http://www.bolivia-usa.org/.  Please ask them to assure his
rights under the Bolivian Constitution and the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights are respected.  The details of the case are attached below.
Thank you,
Sanho

Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 19:55:58 -0400
To: (Recipient list suppressed)
From: Andean Information Network <paz@albatros.cnb.net
Subject: Security Forces Intervene March, Olivera Detained

UPDATE
BOLIVIAN ARMY AND POLICE VIOLENTLY INTERVENE THE MARCH FOR LIFE AND
SOVEREIGNTY
POSSIBLE WIDESPREAD VIOLENCE AND SOCIAL CONFLICT
April 12, 2001
Prepared by the Andean Information Network
Bolivian army and police forces dispersed a group of marchers near Pongo on
the highway between Cochabamba and La Paz. Close to 1,000 heavily armed
members of security forces dispersed one column marchers with tear gas,
beat them, and confiscated their personal possessions around three p.m.
today (April 12). Two other columns of marchers continue on alternative
routes.
DETAINEES
Oscar Olivera, leader of the Cochabamba Water Coordinadora , Silvia Lazarte,
leader of the Bartolina Sisa Women's campesino federation, as well as 103
other marchers (according to Guillermo Fortun, Minister of Government) have
been detained. Reports indicate that they were forced onto a bus to return
to Cochabamba.  Fortun sustains that Olivera was detained with an arrest
warrant for subversion.
BOLIVIAN CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES VIOLATED
Bolivian law stipulates that the marchers cannot be detained for more than 8
hours.  Article 7 of the Bolivian constitution guarantees "all people have
the right to enter, stay, transit throughout national territory" and the
right "meet and associate for legal ends."
Bolivian citizens also have the right to protest and freedom to meet.
The following civil rights have also been violated: dignity, security,
integrity, freedom, physical liberty, freedom of circulation.
BACKGROUND ON THE MARCH
The March for Life and Sovereignty, made up of social sectors including coca
growers, workers, irrigation activists, and members of the Water
Coordinadora left Cochabamba on Monday April 9th. Marchers planned to meet
up with other groups along the way and with La Paz Yungas coca producers in
La Paz on April 23.
Marchers' demands are wide-reaching. They include an end to forced
eradication in the Chapare, no coca eradication in the Yungas region,
elimination of the Cochabamba water company's (SEMAPA) debt, approval of the
water law and others.
Groups represented by the marchers have repeatedly expressed interest in
dialogue.  The Minister of Labor expressed the government's willingness to
negotiate. In spite of this communication, high-ranking government
officials gave the order to detain the marchers.
On April 11, marchers beat 4 police intelligence officers who had initially
identified themselves as member of the Permanent Human Rights Assembly.
Political tensions heightened on April 9 when Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada,
ex-president and leader of the MNR party, suggested indirectly that Banzer
should resign because he is incapable of governing the country. This has
caused an uproar here and government officials have threatened to charge him
with conspiracy.
CHAPARE
In the Chapare, self-defense committees have been activated. On Monday there
were groups of campesinos in strategic areas waiting to see if there are
problems with the march. It is possible that blockades will begin in
the Chapare as a result of the intervention. There are constant combined
forces patrols throughout the region. Reports indicate that additional
forces have entered the region from Cochabamba.
For additional information please contact the Andean Information Network
paz@albatros.cnb.net or kledebur@albatros.cnb.net.
# # # # # # #
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 15:12:39 -0400
From: Stacie Jonas <s-jonas@mindspring.com
Organization: IPS
To: IPS Staff
Subject: Oscar Olivera on hit list

The following is a very quick translation (forgive the grammar) of an
article in Spanish newspaper El Pais, Thursday, April 12.  The headline
reads, "Leaders of Campesino March Towards La Paz Believe They Could be
Assassinated"

The key members of the Coordinadora de Movilizacion Unica Nacional (Comunal)
of Bolivia, that are leading a march from Cochabamba and other surrounding
areas to La Paz, insisted yesterday that they were not afraid
to die, but that they were worried about the social reaction that might
derive from their possible extermination.  "The Intelligence Services, the
Police, and the Army have a list of the names of people that must be
physically exterminated because they think we are are permanently disrupting
the peace in the country," explained Comunal spokesperson Oscar Olivera.

Olivera heads up the march of nearly 1,000 campesinos and farmers that left
Cochabamba last Monday in hopes of arriving in La Paz on April 23 to demand
that the government comply with the agreement reached last year.

Olivera confirmed an earlier complaint made by the head of the Coca Leaf
Producers of Cochabamba, Representative Evo Morales.  Morales had announced
earlier the the campesino unions were aware of the existence of this hit
list.

"We have always known that our lives are in danger, but this doesn't
frighten us, although obviously we are concerned for our families.  But what
does worry us is what could happen if these threats are carried out.  We
believe that this could cause a social uprising, and we don't want this,"
explained Olivera, a man who has been involved in union work since he worked
at the Manaco shoe factory, part of the transnational corporation Bata.

Interior Minister Guillermo Fortun insists that neither Olivera nor Morales
"are saints" given that both have caused the Banzer government a great deal
of headaches because of their constant demands and the protests they carried
out last year.

"We have presented each of our demands in advance so that they could be
considered and resolved by the authorities.  But the government is blind,
deaf, and lies--they haven't complied with any of the agreements they
signed with different sectors of the country over a year ago," said Olivera.
He gives as an example the agreement with the Coordinadora of Water.  Only
one element of the agreement has been carried out: "lifting the blockades
[ending the protests], while the other 10 are still pending.  Both Catholic
Church and the "Defensora del Pueblo y Derechos Humanos" have confirmed this
and have already expressed their concerns to the government.

The majority of the leaders of the local organizations of farmers, coca
producers, retired people, teachers and industrial workers believe that the
government has not addressed the real problems they face, such as the
creation of jobs, the fight against poverty...

[translation of this para. unclear] "They have worried about preparing for
the electoral campaign, of dividing up power in the state apparatus and in
the Electoral Courts and assuming urgent measures because democracy is at
risk...," insisted Olivera.

In the face of the Government's lack of compliance with their promises and
"the corruption and the barefaced robbery of our resources and our rights,"
there is no alternative but to return to the sacrifice of the march to La
Paz, to scream in the streets near the Presidential palace and try to at
least make the echo reach the President's office.

Third day of march

Meanwhile, the long stream of marchers begins to ascend the Andes on the
third day of the march to La Paz, shortly after turning in a group of four
individuals who were found with arms in their vehicle to a representative of
the Human Rights Assembly.

"We've asked the Human Rights Assembly to turn these four 'civilians' in--we
found them in a white taxi with old plates, radio equipment, binoculars, 32
caliber weapons, and the book "Mein Kampf" by Adolf Hitler," informed the
Comunal spokesperson.

[Olivera] said that the marchers hope that the government will investigate
whether these individuals are assailants or common criminals.  "If the
government wants to control the march, they should do it in a transparent
way," he explains.



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