Around a decade ago, the gas war was a social conflict that focused on the exploitation of the country's natural gas reserves. Protests against the naturalization are nothing new in any country, much less in Latin America, where the global war over the privatization of water saw its infancy. Yet the gas conflict would escalate, sweeping one of its main combatants, Evo Morales, into power in 2005, where he remains to this day.
It is then little wonder that El Presidente would like to mark his calendar for certain days he deems special, chief among them Black October, which would eventually lead to the resignation of former president 'Goni' Lozada. Strikes and roadblocks would freeze any activities within the country, but would also demand a high price in human lives as 67 people, mostly from the Morales stronghold of El Alto, were killed by Bolivian armed forces, supposedly with the assistance of non other than the United States. That same president, 'Goni' Lozada is now living in the United States, no doubt in splendid luxury, and the refusal of the US to extradite the former president only adds more gas (for want of a better word) to the fire.
This occurrence was exactly nine years ago. Reason enough to party, according to President Morales.
Each year, October 17, protests are held in front of the US Embassy, the majority Morales' supporters from El Alto banging the drums, demanding retribution and the extradition of the former president held responsible for over 60 Bolivian deaths.
Seems like a march for the common good, no? Maybe not quite.
According to various sources, party members in Evo's stronghold of El Alto, situated just above La Paz, went from door to door October 16, demanding one person per family march on the embassy the next day. Their reward was a certain tax break they would receive for their support. Each woman – and the grand majority were women, owing to the fact that most men couldn't afford to lose a day of work – was given a card to be stamped at the embassy, proof that they had done their patriotic duty and would be eligible for their monetary reward.
According to people living around the embassy – in this case not rarely people who also work in the embassy – a big percentage of these demonstrators, once they reached the embassy, tended to their priorities, in this case getting their cards stamped.
Now here's a multiple choice question for our readers:
The moment the protesters' cards were stamped, what was the next station for these patriotic heroes?
a) In front of the embassy to voice their indignity at the American imperialists
b) To gather signatures from equally caring and responsible citizens
c) Home
You are correct, sir. A manufactured protest that forces people to march, sometimes against their better judgment, ends often in another particular place of their homes: the toilet.
