possible strikes in La Paz 20/7/07

There may be a general strike in La Paz on 20th of this month. It looks like it is either going to be all public institutions (which wont be so bad - unless the police join in!) or it could be all private associations also which will be a pain - no buses, no taxis,no bread, not much of anything. It is only for a day though and it is apparently in protest about proposals to move the functions of government to Sucre - bloody stupid idea as it would mean the loss of loads of jobs and Sucre simply doesn't have the infrastructure for it.

The stoppage ( a better description in this case than "strike") is endorsed - nay, promoted - by both the Municipality and the regional "Prefecture". The latter has said its heavy machinery will blocking all roads out of La Paz.
Neighbourhood committees will mobilize to "encourage" citizens to observe the stoppage,. It can be asssumed that public transport will join in. There are plans for a massive demo at the "Ceja" (the brow of the escarpment between El Alto and La Paz).
My guess is the stoppage will be complete, although there is no reason to expect any disturbances. Anyone wanting to travel out of town by road on Friday should get out the day before, or perhaps in the wee small hours of the morning. I don´t know about the airport -probably there will be transport to and from the early morning flights, but it would be a good idea to check with the airline.
Things will probably start moving again late in the afternoon. Not working on a Friday to demonstrate loyalty to the cause of La Paz is one thing; passing up a Friday evening´s entertainment is a different matter altogether.

thanks for the more detailed update. Even if things dostart moving again on Friday evening I would doubt transport will start up again as all the drivers will be drunk by then and wont being willing to work.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Neighbourhood committees will mobilize to "encourage" citizens to observe the stoppage<hr></blockquote>

Bolivian democracy in action.

Any excuse for a day off work in this country. They´ve got Monday 16 de Julio, that should have been enough.

Bring (i) earplugs for the home-made fireworks; (ii) noseplugs for the smelliness - no traffic pollution to hide the whiff of the drains plus several thousand campesinos in town joining the cabildo (civic gathering); (iii) your own bread. The British Embassy In La Paz website advises that t-shirts bearing slogans such as "¡Sucre Capital!" and "¡Autonomía Carajo!" should not be worn around the city on this day.

:o)

as long as they dont cut off my supply of Sucre chocolate in the small shop on prado then ill be happy.

Even thinking about Sucre chocolate counts as Thoughtcrime under the new Bolivarian regime. Expect a visit from the men in red ponchos shortly.

:o)

Despite opposition from The Dear Leader and his hordes, the new Constitution will enshrine the superiority of chocolate from Sucre over inferior brands produced in the provincial city of La Paz. This, because the "Medio Lunáticos" of Santa Cruz are supporting the legitmate demands of the "Totalmente Lunáticos" and "maîtres chocolatiers" of Sucre in return for their support of the divine right of Santa Cruz to refuse entry to migrants from over 1700 metres a.s.l. . Exceptions are to be made for i) those whose family name ends in "-ic", ii) anyone 6 feet tall and over (5 feet 8 inches for women) with blue eyes.

With the Federated Indigenous Cantons of Collastan having failed to convince Chile to give up a coastal enclave in return for several million cubic litres of walnut whip filling per annum (they instead offered a railway line and some nice blankets), chocolate supremo Willy Wonka has been called in by Ruben Costasic to design the new Congress building in Chuquisaca. It is believed that Wonka has also been put in charge of immigration controls for Costasic's own Republica Oriental de Santa Cruz ("No one ever goes in, no one ever comes out").