Cuatro Cañadas maintains 24-hour road blockade for Wednesday

The Cuatro Cañadas Intercultural Federation is maintaining its call for a 24-hour blockade of the highway connecting Santa Cruz de la Sierra with the Chiquitania. The action is scheduled to begin at midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

The call was addressed to six central organizations and 36 affiliated communities. It instructs them to coordinate with local communities and productive organizations and to carry out the blockade in an organized, peaceful and responsible manner. Organizers said they must protect people’s safety and avoid violence or confrontation.

The gathering is scheduled at the intercultural organizations’ headquarters, near the entrance to the 4 de Marzo community, from 8 p.m. After the 24-hour action ends, the central organizations, communities and productive groups are expected to assess what steps to take next. Further measures could follow if their demand to repeal Supreme Decree 5676 is not met.

The police said it would enforce Bolivia’s state of exception, which began on June 20 for 90 days after 53 days of road-blocking unrest had strained the country. New police commander Gen. Adrián Javier Álvarez said the law was clear, but added that authorities would continue to prioritize dialogue with the sectors involved.

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We are currently living under a state of exception. The rules are clear, and the Bolivian Police will enforce the provisions of the current regulations, but it is also important to mention that we will always prioritize dialogue with these sectors.