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Anti-Morales protests hit Bolivia | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Anti-government protesters have stormed public buildings in eastern Bolivia amid a deepening row between President Evo Morales and his opponents. | |
The biggest protest was in Santa Cruz, where demonstrators raided several offices and clashed with riot police. | |
Bolivia's energy-rich eastern provinces oppose Mr Morales's attempts to redirect gas revenues to poorer areas. | |
Troops have meanwhile been deployed to guard gas pipelines to guarantee exports to Brazil and Argentina. | |
Since last week, anti-government demonstrators have been blocking roads and occupying buildings in eastern regions, which are home to Bolivia's important natural gas reserves. | |
But Tuesday saw an escalation of their action and some of the worst violence in the country for several months. | |
The government condemned the unrest as a "civil coup" | |
Hundreds of people raided the state-run telecommunications company, the tax agency, the local state TV network and the land reform institute in the city of Santa Cruz. | |
Clashes broke out between the protesters and riot police, who were forced to take cover. | |
Trouble also flared in the provinces of Beni, Pando, and Tarija as opposition activists raided public buildings. | |
"Facsist, violent and racist people attacked institutions...that belong to all Bolivians," said Interior Minister Alfredo Rada. | |
In the Chaco area, protesters stormed a station controlling a natural gas pipeline and tried unsuccessfully to cut exports to Brazil, officials quoted by Reuters news agency said. | |
Reform | |
Bolivia has the second largest natural gas reserves in South America but they are situated in the east of the country, where Mr Morales faces his fiercest opponents. | |
Brazil, and to a lesser extent Argentina, are Bolivia's major gas customers and any interruption to supply would have a serious effect on both economies as well as damaging Bolivia's reputation as a reliable supplier, says the BBC's Daniel Schweimler in Buenos Aires. | |
On Monday, the government announced that soldiers were being sent to guard natural gas fields and pipelines. | |
Mr Morales came to power in 2006 promising reform | |
"The government will not allow the interruption of natural gas exports," said Energy Secretary Carlos Villegas. | |
Shortly afterwards Mr Villegas was moved to the development planning ministry while Saul Avalos took over at the energy ministry. | |
The changes were part of a cabinet reshuffle seen as an attempt by President Morales to tackle the growing opposition to his plans to radically reform the way Bolivia is governed. | |
The president wants to give more power to the country's indigenous and poor communities, by carrying out land reform and redistributing gas revenues. | |
Mr Morales's attempts to change the constitution are fiercely opposed by opposition governors who run five of Bolivia's nine regions. | |
They and their supporters want greater autonomy as well as more control over revenues of natural gas in their areas. | |
Mr Morales is seeking approval in Congress to hold a referendum on 7 December on his proposed constitutional changes. | |
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