MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

National upheaval in Bolivia.

Thousands of retailers in Bolivia this Monday shut their businesses and marched peacefully along the main streets of the capital La Paz, bringing the city to a full stop.

The protest was in support of the national strike convened by the powerful Bolivian Workers Central organization who is demanding the government desists of its plans to export natural gas to United States, and rather concentrates in solving the country's problems.

Landlocked and impoverished Bolivia rests on huge natural gas deposits some of which is already exported to Brazilian industry. The Bolivian government is now betting its future in a pipeline to the Pacific and from there shipping gas mainly to energy hungry California.

But the pipeline must cross either Chilean or Peruvian territory. Both countries are willing to have the natural gas link but a majority of Bolivians believe that accepting the geographically more favourable Chilean offer is tantamount to "treason".

In 1879 during the so called Pacific War, Chile successfully managed to hold back a Bolivia-Peru alliance that wanted to take over rich fertilizer deposits in the north of the country. When the fighting was over Bolivia had lost its only exit to the ocean and Peru part of its most southern territory.

Bolivia has been landlocked ever since and Bolivians have repeatedly claimed the territory.

However current protests with this national-soul ingredient, are also taking advantage of a weak government unable to solve the country's many problems, with dwindling congressional support and a strong growing opposition made up mainly of leaders of very poor Indian peasants who make a living by planting coca and selling the leafs that end up in laboratories in Colombia and Peru belonging to drug barons.

Several Bolivian administrations with United States funding have repeatedly and unsuccessfully tried to convince Indian peasants to plant other crops than the centennial coca, adding to the local aversion towards the US and its policies.

Protestors and peasants have cut several of the main routes leading to La Paz, retailers are out in the streets, and the Army and Police so far have managed to keep the situation under control. However for how long is anybody's guess given the sensitivity of the issues.

Meantime Chile and Argentina, through where much of Bolivia's foreign trade flows have recommended their nationals to avoid travelling to the country. Chilean authorities have gone further and cancelled bus services to Bolivia following the stoning of several units and threats to drivers and passengers.