The government of Bolivian President Hugo Banzer seemed on the verge of collapse this week, after a series of massive strikes during which up to a hundred people are thought to have died in armed clashes with troops sent in to suppress the revolt.
The outburst started on Monday 21 January after the regime decreed rises of more than 100% in the price of basic necessities-rice, flour, pasta products and coffee as well as increased charges for public transport. Another decree gave workers a pay rise of E8 a month, but this was rejected as totally inadequate by mass meetings up and down the country, and next day both the miners' unions and the National Confederation of Factory Workers voted for a 24-hour strike.
As the week progressed, protest demonstrations were held in the capital, La Paz, and other major centres, while further groups -bank workers, builders, and bakers also voted for strike action. The effects of this were most marked in the central city of Cochabamba. where police opened fire on demonstrators after a series of clashes with striking factory workers who were blocking the streets with motor vehicles. Prolonged clashes between police and striking miners were also reported in the towns of Oruro and Huanuni, CITY CUT OFF However, the bureaucratic leaderships of the various trade unions had only called 24-hour protest strikes, in an effort to contain the militancy of their members. By the end of the week the aftermath of these was beginning to Troops are now on every street-corner under Banzer's 'state of siege die down, when suddenly a new and unexpected factor came into play. This was the revolt of the peasants around Cochabamba, who on Friday 25 January set up barricades manned by armed guards across the three main roads into the city. effectively isolating it from the rest of the LOLITY The peasants at first demanded simply the cancellation of the decree authorising the price Increases, but rapidly stepped up their demands as the scale and significance of the confrontation became clear. On 29 January, after kidnapping the newly appointed military governor of the province, General Juan Perz Tapia, a mass meeting called for Banzer's resignation. However, the next day a massive assault by the Seventh Arny Division involving troops, tanks and T-33 combat aircraft succeeded in forcing a way through to the city again, Peasant casualties were officiully put at 13 dead and 1C wounded, although on Sunday a Roman Catholic watchdog commission accused the regime of carrying out a 'massacre in which, 'according to witnesses nearly 100 peasants wese killed".
Despite this show of force, however, and the fact that a 'State of siege'- martial law —has been imposed throughout the country, further repercussions are widely expected. A 48 hour wildcat strike by 4,800 tin miners in two of the country's largest mines was announced at the weekend, while the peasant unreat continues and further armed clashes have been forecast by General Adriazola, president of the Armed Forces" Joint Command, In this situation reports of deep divisions within the armed forces and plots to overthrow the President are now rile:
London Co-op Political Committee public meeting. Tuesday 12 February, 7.30 pm in Porchester Hall, Porcreater hood, sa. spe kers include. Artnur Latham MP. Heg Taylor (LCS PC), and representatives of NUM, ASLEF, end AUEW. "LOCAL ACTION AGAINST PHASE 3': Bob Penningion speaks at IMG public meeting, 7.30 pm on Tuesday 12 February ot the People's Place Derby Terrace Inear Public Bathsl, South Shields. CRITIQUE SEMINAR: Robin Blackburn speaks on The Chinese Cultural Ravolution, Friday B February at 7.30 pm in Room $1 75, Landon School of Economics, Houghton St (Holborn tube). BENGALI FRIENDSin Europe and alsewhere, for Bengali books end Larai (Fourth International paper), contact, Bengali, Mulivaden, Box 3274, 10355 Stockhoim, Sweden workers movement and rout out every last militant after the overthrow of the Torres regime in August 197L, the cracks have been growing stendily wider in the last 18 months The first major upoet came at the end of October 1972, when thousands of workens came out on strike in protest at a 60% devaluation of the Bolivian peso. Further demonstrations also took place last year, when a failure to readjust the valuo of the peso after the devaluation of the US dollar meant in effect a second devaluation. The focus of struggle abo hegan to spread, with a demonstration of 15,000 workers in La Paz on May Day 1973 demanding that their trade union federation, the COB, be legalised again.
Banzer's response was to attempt to divert the mass strugale through the promise of clections some time in 1974. But this manoeuvre only deepened the contradictions within the regime. Within days the chief's of the army and air force had publicly denounoed any such plans. Shortly afterwards, the defection of one of the partners in the coalition, the MR led MN R leader Paz Estenssoro - growing resistance to Government prompted his defection by former president Paz Esrenssoro, confirmed the prospect of a new period of instability CONSERVATIVE FORCE The depth of the crisis for the regime is most strikingly dilustrated by the revolt of the peasants. Despite some isolated, individual struggles the peasantry have in the past tended to be a conservative force. Their representatives in the leftist Popular Assembly which functioned under Torres were few in number, and they were not siow to rally to Banzer when be launched his coup.
Indeed, when the first strikes broke out Banzer clearly hoped to use the peasants again Do break the back of the resistance. After receiv ing a delegation of support from the leaders of the bureaucratised peasants organisations, be is even reported to have announced that the peasants must be ready to take lip arms'. And Lake up arins they did, but-under the impact of a rise of almost 280% in the cost of living since August 1971 -it was agrinst Banzer and not for him.
Banzer's days are certainly numbered after this development. Hut the key question is who will replace him. The peasants themselves demanded his replacement by a new military junta. But that was before dozens of them were mas sacred by that same military machine Such a situation opens up a real possibility for revolutionary change. Whether it is reatised or not will depend on the ability of the vanguard to break the grip of the reformist bureaus rats and open up the way for a united struggle of the peasantry under the leadership of the working class for the seizure of power. But one thing at least is clear from the events of the last fortnight in Bolivia: the Chilean coup did not solve imperialism's problems in Latin America, it merely postponed the day of reckoning.
MARTIN METEYARD