Bolivia: Archbishop meets environmental protesters camped outside cathedral

Indigenous marchers

Cardinal Julio Terrazas, Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, met a group of Indigenous people who are on hunger strike, camped in front of the Cathedral of Santa Cruz, in solidarity with marchers protesting over plans to build a highway through their Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Secure (ITNPIS).

The Cardinal blessed the crowd and said a solution must be found, "following the paths of justice and peace that the country wants, in order to build a country for everyone and a country where the common good and dignity of the human person is respected".

The protest march began on 15 August with about 1,500 participants. On 25 September, several people were injured when riot police, using teargas tried to break up the march. Bolivian President, Evo Morales, apologized for the "excesses" of the police and has ordered a high-level to study what happened. He has also suspend the construction of the road, submitting the issue to a referendum to be held in Beni and Cochabamba.

On Monday, ITNPIS communities resumed their march towards La Paz. "We remain firm in our decision and we will go forward in defense of our territory and integrity of the 34 indigenous groups. We will arrive in La Paz", the president of the indigenous people Moseten, Marcelino Chairini told reporters. He said the march has been, and will be, a peaceful protest.

About half of the demonstrators are women. At least 20 of them are pregnant and there about 90 children in the group. The human rights group 'Defensor del Pueblo' human rights) is monitoring the situation.

When they reach La Paz the protestors plan to present a list of 16 requests to the government. The most pressing one concerns the construction of the highway which looks set to destroy large parts of their ancestral territory.

Source: Fides/ICN