MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia on the “verge of civil war”

The Bolivian Congress has plans to resume activities Thursday in Sucre to consider President Carlos Mesa resignation offer in the midst of a chaotic situation with warnings of “civil war” and radical leaders calling for more street violence.

President of the Senate Hormando Vaca Diez said that conditions to operate in La Paz are non existent with the city under the control of peasants and miners armed with dynamite sticks, and following several attempts by protestors to storm Congress.

Protestors are demanding Congress approve the nationalization of the hydrocarbons industry and resources, a most controversial issue that has virtually split the country in half between the rich east and poor west.

Senator Vaca Diez who is the constitutional successor of Mr. Mesa underlined that "democratic governance is not only a matter of guarantees to enable Congress to deliberate normally", adding that Bolivian Air Force transport will be available for all legislators so they can fly to Sucre.

But leaders of protestors who have taken to the streets, isolating La Paz and blocking the routes of seven of the country's nine provinces warned of more radical actions if Mr. Vaca Diez is nominated president. Radicals are also demanding anticipated general elections.

Leader of the opposition Evo Morales has threatened that his party and "the people will not permit Congress to meet in Sucre and we will head there to prevent it".

"With this decision "Vaca Diez is setting the country on fire. Nobody is going to allow him to become president, I beg of him to think about it. Congress sessions must be held in La Paz and he must resign to the constitutional succession".

Mr. Morales confirmed that of the few things he shared with President Mesa was the volatility of the current situation, which is described in the "verge of a civil war" and the need for immediate national elections.

However the Bolivian Catholic Church through La Paz Archbishop Edmundo Abastoflor seems to have taken the initiative and after praising Mr. Mesa for his "act of dispossession" has invited other leaders to emulate him.

This has been interpreted as a request for Mr. Vaca Diez and the president of the Lower House Mario Cossio to resign to the presidential succession opening the way for Supreme Court Justice Eduardo Rodríguez who is constitutionally entitled to advance elections for next December instead of 2007.

However the parties to which Mr. Vaca Diez and Mr. Cossio belong insisted that "the constitution must be respected".

Mr. Vaca Diez represents Santa Cruz which leads the provincial autonomy movement and is one of the richest areas of Bolivia, and Mr. Cossio, Tarija with the largest gas reserves of the country and favouring foreign participation in the Bolivian oil industry. Tarija also supports provincial autonomy from La Paz.