LA PAZ (Reuters) – The Bolivian city of Santa Cruz marked 3 weeks of protests on Friday as protests against a delayed census boiled over.
Santa Cruz, a wealthy agricultural hub and opposition stronghold, has been paralyzed in recent days due to a general strike that is not easy for the government to conduct a census next year before the 2025 elections.
On Friday, protesters clashed with government-aligned teams, and local television showed altercations involving Molotov cocktails, motorcycles, firecrackers, rocks and sticks.
The three-week protests left 4 dead and more than 170 injured, the government said. He blamed the escalation of violence on Santa Cruz Governor Luis Fernando Camacho, who began the strike on October 22 with opposition groups.
Economy Minister Marcelo Montenegro said Friday that the strike, which has worsened food shortages and pushed up already high prices, has claimed about $700 million.
Regional and opposition teams say the socialist government in La Paz delayed the census because it would have given them more seats in Congress and more state resources.
In an opinion column, former Economy Minister Oscar Ortiz noted that recent years of rural migration to Santa Cruz may put the ruling Movement Toward Socialism at a disadvantage in Congress.
“Demographic trends don’t favor them,” Ortiz said. It will be increasingly difficult for them to secure the legislative majorities they have enjoyed in the past. “
(Reporting via Danny Ramos; Editing through Bill Berkrot)
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