MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivian Indian leader promises more trouble

Felipe Quisque leader of Bolivia's main peasants' organizations anticipated more “social agitation” for next April with the purpose of “deposing” interim president Carlos Mesa who took office this week after a month long of riots that forced the resignation of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.

"This coming week grassroots will be deciding a tactical retreat and peaceful carnival festivities during February but in April problems will return", said Mr. Quisque interviewed by foreign correspondents in La Paz, capital of Bolivia.

"I will sit face to face with president Mesa and demand he rejects the 1985 free market legislation imposed in the country. We can't sacrifice a whole month of protest for a mere change of faces, because the current capitalist or imperialist system persists. Mesa's government is the same as that of Sanchez de Lozada".

Mr. Quiaque who has threatened with forcing "president Mesa out of office" and even "civil war" if peasants requests are not met is demanding the repeal of the Hydrocarbons Bill and annulment of the "secret" contract to sell Bolivian natural gas to United States and Mexico, both of which triggered the month long social and political turmoil.

The Indian and peasants' leader who had a decisive participation in the protests and road blocks that forced the downfall of Mr. Mesa's predecessor warned that his organization used "military tactics" during confrontations with the Police and Army causing them "thirty casualties that they have not yet accepted".

A defiant Mr. Quiaque anticipated that his organization will not yield to the US pretension that "we don't plant coca anymore. Each family will plant a cato (1,600 square meters) no matter if the US considers it illegal".

Meantime incoming President Mesa took the oath to his cabinet, all independents and experts, the first time no political parties are represented. Two Indians were also incorporated to the newly created ministries of Indian Affairs and Popular Participation. A political analyst will head the Ministry of Interior, a general Defence and a journalist was named to a new Anticorruption Office.

In Miami ousted former president Sanchez de Lozada said he feared for the future of Bolivia and blamed the Bush administration for his downfall.

In an interview with "The Miami Herald" the former president said that in a private meeting with Mr. Bush he requested 160 million US dollars fro social aid and to balance the budget. But in the last fifteen months Bolivia only received 10 million US dollars earmarked for the eradication of coca plantations.

Mr. Sanchez de Lozada revealed that in the final hours of his mandate he received a phone call from Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and "I begged him to talk to the Indian leaders Evo Morales and Felipe Quisque to stop the bloodshed".

He also said that his downfall was the result of a conspiration "to create the first trade union-drug cartels state in South America". Leftwing and trade-union leaders "are behind this conspiration that could lead to the disintegration of Bolivia".

Finally the former president said his fate was decided when last Monday his now successor Carlos Mesa and one of the junior members of the ruling coalition withdrew their support to his administration.

Apparently Mr. Sanchez de Lozada is planing to return to Chicago where he grew up and went to school.