[NYTr] Bolivians Struggling for Unity, Fighting Seditious Groups

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Bolivians Respond to Seditious Groups

La Paz, Dec 16 (Prensa Latina) The government is still fighting today
for unity and convinced that nine million Bolivians will defeat several
oligarchic groups plotting to tear the country apart, said Vice
President Alvaro Garcia Linera.

He also denounced that several opposition sectors are reluctant to talk
and insist on fragmentizing Bolivia.

"Those five or 10 families that have ostracized themselves from
Bolivian society can protest and show their opposition but if they are
looking for separatism and division they will confront nine million
Bolivians that will tell them "you will not succeed," he warned.

Garcia Linera denounced civil governors and civics who proclaimed their
de facto autonomies in the departments of Beni, Pando, Tarija and Santa
Cruz as a plan to chop the country up into pieces.

For that reason he called on Bolivian people to defend the nation's
integrity facing those attitudes of divisionism that have been carried
out amidst hate, violence and racism.

He revealed that in several occasions he invited the opposition to
participate with ideas to improve the new constitution but he always
received aggression, refusal and insults.

After all possibilities of talks provided by the government have run
out, the enemies of the current process of democratic changes have lost
their opportunity of being heard, assured Garcia Linera.

ef abo cmv PL-12

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Opposition Seeks Confrontation in Bolivia

Lima, Dec 16 (Prensa Latina) Bolivian ambassador in Peru Franz Solano
warned on Sunday that the radical opposition to the government in his
country seems to prefer confrontation instead of reaching an agreement
through talks.

In an interview with the Peruvian daily news La Primera the diplomat
noted Bolivian President Evo Morales has put his term of office in the
hands of a referendum that civil governors must also comply with,
instead of acting against the Executive.

Morales has also appealed for détente during season holidays although
"it seems that the opposition wants confrontation instead of talks and
agreement."

Solano stressed the importance of the New Constitution that has been
put into effect since Saturday in his country, which proclaims Bolivia
as a Social Unitary State of Rights, Plurinational Community with the
human being as its greatest value.

"Unfortunately, those who received the benefit of the neoliberal system
do not accept democratic values and create problems with false
arguments after trying to make the Constituent Assembly fail, but
without success.

The diplomat ruled out the possibility that Bolivian conflicts could
have repercussion in the Peruvian bordering region and highlighted the
close ties between the two peoples and the Peruvian solidarity with the
process of changes in his country.

ef abo mrs PL-16